While You're Making Other Plans
by Shannon likes the Sun
Summary: Life is what happens while you're making other plans. At least that's what Sharon and Andy are about to find out. / Chapter 32 is now up.
1. Chapter 1

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **Author's Note:** Who is the new author with the crazy pen name, you're wondering? Well, it's us, Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon. Back last fall when we bonded over our simultaneously posting baby fic, we started to write back and forth and ended up deciding to write a story together. As this was what brought us together, we thought it should be baby fic. But since we have mutually exhausted every dramatic storyline we could possibly think of, we settled for comedy. I hope you will enjoy what we thought up! We will take turns posting chapters, so this will be me, Miss Shannon. :-)

 **1**

If Andy Flynn had learned anything during the past year, it was that his girlfriend took a while in the bathroom and that she didn't react gracefully when disturbed. However, it was a Saturday morning, he had gone out of his way to prepare a proper breakfast that catered to both her taste and his own vegetarian needs and she had been in there for a long time now. So Andy decided to be brave and inquire as to when she was going to join him in the kitchen. With Rusty out on an early morning chess match, there was no one to talk to and he was beginning to get bored.

He rapped his knuckles against the bathroom door and waited for an answer that came in the form of a strangled little sound. He drew his eyebrows together in a concerned frown.

"Sharon?" he asked, his voice raised to be heard through the door, yet soft enough to show his concern. "Are you alright in there?"

"Honey, I'm fine," came the tired reply - a clear indication that she was not.

"I'm coming in," he announced, turning the knob before she even had a chance to object, which he was sure she would have, given enough time. The sight that greeted him upon entering wasn't at all what he had been expecting after the long amount of time she had spent in the bathroom. There she was, wet hair tousled and face pale with no trace of the make-up he'd believed her to be applying meticulously while he was slaving away in the kitchen. She was wearing one of his t-shirts, her legs and feet bare, perched on the side of the bathtub opposite the toilet, looking miserable. Her eyes were a muddy green this morning and lacked their usual sparkle.

"Hey," he said gently, sitting down next to her and placing his hand on her knee in a loving gesture. "Are you sick?"

Sharon crossed her ankles and rubbed one foot against the other which told him that she was feeling self-conscious, so he leaned over and placed a kiss on top of her head. The fruity scent of her shampoo was intoxicating and even chased away the lingering stench of vomit in the air. He had realized that she had been throwing up when he'd entered with the window wide open and her face ashen like that. He'd seen it a lot two weeks ago, but then he'd believed that the stomach bug was gone now.

"I've certainly been sick," Sharon murmured, burying her face in his upper arm while she held on to it with both hands. While he had gotten to know a completely different side of his boss ever since they'd become an item, she wasn't usually like this. Andy raised his brows but put one arm around her waist and pulled her into him.

"Now I feel a little guilty for preparing the sort of breakfast that I did," he joked to lighten the mood.

"Bacon," she snorted into the fabric of his shirt and he felt her swallow uncomfortably. "I can smell it on you."

"Are you going to be sick again?" he asked her but she shook her head.

"No, there is nothing in my stomach... I think."

He began to rub her back and felt her relax a little under his loving touch. "Why don't you go back to bed? I'll make you some tea and there should be crackers left."

She hummed, but made no move to get up so Andy felt her forehead, glad not to find her running a fever.

"That is a pretty persistent stomach bug you have there. Don't you think you should see a doctor? Just in case?"

Sharon finally lifted her head from his shoulder, a strange look in her eyes. Andy saw alarm there, mixed with uncertainty and a little fear. He swallowed dryly. Something was up.

"I am not sure it is a stomach bug, Andy." That said, she wouldn't meet his eyes and he felt his heart sink. Now that he thought about it, she hadn't been well for weeks even before she had started throwing up everything she ate. But she was like a cat that way, always trying to hide physical discomfort until it just wasn't possible anymore. And running out of the Murder Room on a regular basis was just that, he thought grimly. It was becoming kind of hard to disguise it with sudden phone calls or similar, as she had so unsuccessfully tried to in the beginning.

"Oh god, Sharon," he said, tightening his arm around her shoulder. "Do you think it's serious? Cancer?" He inevitably lowered his voice for the last word, somehow anxious that saying it out loud would make his fears more real.

Sharon tried a shaky smile but failed miserably since her eyes were filling up with tears that she had to bite back with some force.

"No." She trailed off after that, stretching the vowel, then took her time before she finally went on.

"I just realized that I've missed two periods."

For a moment, Andy was just confused, then he exhaled noisily, relieved beyond compare. She wasn't seriously ill, he told himself, it wasn't life-threatening, it was completely normal as it was just-

"Menopause!" he exclaimed, unsuccessfully trying to hide his slight amusement at her overreaction to a perfectly normal occurrence. Instead of relaxing against him as she usually did when he had finally coaxed what was troubling out of her, she straightened up. He realized too late that she was angry. Very suddenly so, he thought, but then mood swings were common symptoms of menopause. Provenza had told him all about it with his third wife who had once thrown a lawn chair at him. Not quite without merit, actually, but still.

"You don't get it, do you?" She sounded a little tearful there. "I might be fifty-one, but I've been very regular up to this point, as you might recall."

Andy couldn't resist the urge to wrinkle his nose. Sharon could be a little peevish in a very specific, rather irrational sort of way once a month and he did not remember that happening lately, now that he thought about it. What put him off, however, was her talking to him about it. Menstruation was his second least favorite topic, beaten for the top spot only by interior decoration. There was an unspoken agreement between them that she took care of both of them.

She rolled her eyes at his apprehension. "How old are you, Andy?"

He looked at his feet, feeling a little foolish for being so squeamish. "You were saying?" he prompted, trying to get back to where they had left off before his face had developed a life of its own.

"I was going to say that you don't just stop menstruating altogether from one month to the next!" she pointed out, the anger having replaced the tears for which he was oddly grateful. An irate Sharon was a lot easier to deal with than a tearful one, because he just wanted to scoop the latter one up and hug her and call her sweetheart which she wouldn't let him do.

"Also, throwing up all the time isn't that common in that context either."

Andy felt like a fish out of water. What on earth was she getting at? She rolled her eyes again as she met his confused and utterly bewildered stare.

"You just don't get it, do you?" She reached out and caressed his cheek. "Andy, I think I might be expecting."

"Expecting wh-" Andy's eyes widened when it hit him. "Oh. You mean...? OH."

She suddenly rose from where she'd been sitting next to him and began to pace the bathroom. "It is so unbelievable that you didn't even think of it," she murmured frantically. "I must be crazy to even consider the possibility. Oh, Andy, I'm sorry. I am sure it's just stress. Forget I ever said anything."

She waved her arms and came dangerously close to accidentally hitting him in the face with one of them. Her array of hair products that she kept on a shelf near the sink wasn't so lucky and she spent the next few seconds trying to keep the bottles from performing a dominoesque little dance.

That was when the Bonanza theme began to play rather inconveniently.

Andy almost fell off the edge and into the bathtub when he reached out to silence his phone. Seeing that it was Provenza, he sighed and held it up for Sharon to see. She nodded, a self-conscious smile on her lips and her arms wrapped around her upper body. Provenza wasn't in a good mood and growled something about a crime scene, a dead body and the fact that their Saturday was now officially ruined. Andy hung up as quickly as possible, maybe in the middle of his partner's rant, and got up.

"It's a case," he told her what he was sure she already knew as she had begun to apply make-up. "Why don't you stay back and call in sick? We can handle it."

She shook her head. "I am better already. Just..." She gave that weird, unfamiliar smile again. "Just forget what I said about being... what I said earlier. It's insane, I shouldn't have mentioned it."

It probably was, Andy thought, slipping his arms around her waist, making her squeal in surprise. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and then went to go and change, so he would look presentable at work.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **Author's Note:** Thank you all so much for the reviews, fav and follows for our first story! Here is chapter 2, this time from me, Glistening Sun :-) **  
**

 **2**

They drove in together. Because it was a Saturday and because by now, everybody in their division knew they that they were not only dating but as good as living together. But also because Andy was worried about Sharon. Whatever it was, something was wrong with her and when he had seen her sway while walking towards the kitchen for a cup of tea, he had quickly put an arm around her waist and told her, in no uncertain terms, that he was driving. Quite uncharacteristically she hadn't resisted and instead sighed, grateful for his steadying presence.

Surely she couldn't be? Not at her age? But then the symptoms were there and it all felt so familiar. The nausea for one, but the tenderness in her breasts and then that craving for peaches. Anything with peaches. She looked over at Andy and tried to imagine his reaction if what she thought was true. He had seemed … unaware earlier on, almost to the point of being ignorant. He had two children. Surely he knew how this worked – even if he always behave liked an awkward teenager when she so much as dared to mention her period? Or did he just think her too old and too … Sharon told herself to stop thinking like that and instead closed her eyes sipping ginger tea from the travel mug. Ginger still soothed the nausea. Just like it had back when. No! No!

Andy was always impressed by what she could do with make-up. He knew her well, so he could tell from the lines on her forehead and the way her mouth set that she still wasn't feeling well. To anyone else though she looked just as polished and put together as always. It was deceptive. Had she been trying to tell him that she was pregnant? Surely that couldn't be the case? Well, they hadn't exactly been careful, but then they were old. Weren't they? Surely they were too old to still have children? At the next traffic light he turned to take a good look at her, his girlfriend. Did she _look_ pregnant? Well, he probably wouldn't be able to see anything yet, it should still be too early. That much he remembered. Sharon was sick. That had to be it. And truth be told, that worried him even more.

He was startled when Sharon turned away from her mug and looked back at him.

"You're staring," she said and cocked her head, looking at him quizzically. "Don't worry, my stomach's pretty much empty now. No danger for your car," she tried a joke but it fell flat. She didn't feel like joking and he was too worried for her to laugh.

Sharon making flat jokes was what got to him most of all. Sick. She was sick. He knew that something was going on in her mind. He could see it.

"You look beautiful," he said, because he didn't know what else to say and because she did. She really did. It earned him a dry laugh.

"No, I mean it. Beautiful."

"And?"

"Nothing. You said to forget about it, didn't you? I hope this case doesn't take all day, I was really looking forward to some alone time with you." He reached out and cupped her face.

"Me too, Andy." His hand against her face felt good, warm and reliable. She forced herself not to sigh and gave him a smile instead, "Me too."

Andy leaned in for a quick kiss to her cheek, his lips moving at her ear making her shiver. "Well, let's see if we can't push this case off on robbery/homicide. They're always complaining about us stealing their cases anyway."

"Lieutenant Flynn. We do _not_ steal cases and neither do we push them off on other teams," she tried, starting off sternly, but ending up giggling. She loved that Andy could do this to her, make her laugh and make her giddy and feel so much younger than her age. She felt better now, the ginger tea had helped settle her stomach at least a little and they were back on familiar territory. Work. Teasing each other. She would just forget about the rest.

"I agree, that Captain of ours … she's a rule follower, you know. She wouldn't dream of doing that, but then there's the rest of the team and we know how to do both."

Andy punctuated his sentence with kisses against her cheek and her neck. "All she'd need to do is follow our lead and we'd all be back at home this afternoon. I hear that Lieutenant of hers, you know the one who's always making eyes at her, had something special planned for her."

Their conversation was interrupted by the angry sounds of car horns. Andy nudged her one more time and then pulled back. "Geez, idiots! It's a Saturday – and I don't think our dead guy is gonna go run anywhere."

/

The crime scene was already cordoned off with the familiar yellow tape and the team had started their work. The moment he spotted them, Provenza approached with a determined air, his jaw set rigid.

"Oh, at long last the Captain graces us with her appearance. Please come through to see what _we_ have been working on all morning, Ma'am." Sharon squared her shoulders and gave the older Lieutenant a court nod, walking towards Amy who was eagerly waiting to show her around the crime scene. It all felt warmly and comfortingly familiar, a bright and happy Amy, a grumbling Provenza with his white hat askew. Just because she had some crazy idea didn't mean that the rest of the world would change.

"Hell, where have you two idiots been? I told you to hurry up and get the captain here as soon as possible. You think I've been joking?"

"Well, we're here now. So what's going on?"

"Going on? See for yourself and then your precious girlfriend can do me the favour of dealing with Taylor and the press and the police commissioner and God knows who else!"

"That bad?"

"Yeah, while you were busy screwing the wicked witch."

"We were not …", Andy started to protest remembering how he'd held Sharon in the bathroom earlier. It couldn't be further from the truth. Provenza was obviously in one of his extra-cranky moods and he wished he'd been more insistent making Sharon to stay home. She had looked better when they had arrived – and she wouldn't want him to get into a shouting match with Provenza at a crime scene, so he merely added, "You know that is none of your business. Leave the Sharon alone and tell me what happened."

"It's Sharon, uh?"

"Which isn't news to you!" Andy could feel his blood pressure rising and part of him was concerned about Sharon. What was this case that it had already gained the attention of Taylor, the police commissioner and the damn press?

They followed the path Amy and Sharon had taken earlier, through the large landscaped gardens and finally entered the house from the back door. The stench that assaulted them upon entering the living room was hard to bear even for seasoned homicide detectives; the smell of death and putrefaction almost turned Andy's stomach – and he wasn't particularly sensitive when it came to these things. This certainly wasn't a recent murder.

"Morales says the lady's been dead for at least two weeks, aircon was off. Cleaner found her earlier this morning."

They could hear Amy's chipper voice before they saw both her and Sharon. The sight almost broke Andy's heart. Amy was happily chatting away talking about all the more gruesome aspects of their case, pointing here and there, seemingly unaware of the older woman's predicament. Her face had taken on the ashen complexion of the earlier morning and she pressed a handkerchief against her mouth, the other hand over her stomach. Sharon was desperately trying to keep upright, to keep down the contents of her stomach, but when she saw Andy, and questioning smile, she lost the last bit of control she had been hanging onto and stumbled towards the large glass doors. She only just made it outside before being violently sick all over the wicker furniture with its creamy pillows.

"It's okay, I'm fine. Just continue working the crime scene, I'll be with you in a moment." She waved off the concerned squad members coming towards her.

"Captain, oh no! Well, it does smell horrible in there. Good thing Rios isn't on this case!" If she'd had the strength, Sharon would have rolled her eyes, instead she threw up again. Only bile and she was still feeling sick.

"Sykes, you heard the Captain, go inside and finish your job." In moments like these, Sharon was grateful for her second-in-command.

"Flynn, take care of your girlfriend, will you?" Well, maybe not.

But Andy didn't need telling. He put a gentle hand on Sharon's shoulder, handing her a tissue to wipe her mouth and was surprised when she briefly leaned into him like she had earlier that morning. She took a deep breath and then looked at him with that same unsure look.

Sharon had only been sick at a crime scene once before, and coincidentally that had been while she was pregnant with Emily. She hadn't even known she was pregnant then, but she remembered that stench of decaying human flesh … and how her usually strong stomach had just turned on her.

"Let me take you home, Sharon." Andy pleaded knowing it would be futile and sure enough, Sharon shook her head.

"You're not well. You haven't been well in a while. Provenza said Taylor, the police commissioner _and_ the press are already onto this. Let us face the music and you go home and rest."

"Andy, honey, I'm not sure resting is going to make me any better," she said softly and looked into his eyes. "For now, all I need is fresh air and maybe another cup of tea."

"I don't want Taylor to tear into you."

"Oh Andy, don't worry. I can hold my own with him, and the police commissioner." That was true, but not here, not with that smell that was already making her gag again. She needed to go to the station and freshen up again.

"How about I make you a deal, Andy. You take me back to the station now and then the team can brief me when you get back."

Andy knew when he won and he knew this was as far as he was going to go with her.

"Let me just go inside and let Provenza know you caught a stomach bug."

He heard her laughter as he took a deep breath before walking back into the house.

"Stomach bug, my ass," Provenza muttered to himself , "I know a hangover when I see one. Stop covering for your girlfriend."

/

Sharon was waiting for him in the car. He could see that she had helped herself to one of the water bottles he kept in the trunk and was staring off into space.

"You shouldn't feel bad about yourself. I've seen seasoned detectives loose their breakfast over less."

She gave him that smile again, "I only threw up at a crime scene once. Decades ago when I was a rookie!"

"Back to the station, then?" he prompted and when she nodded, he put the car into drive and quietly pulled into traffic. After a while he felt Sharon's hand on his and lifted it to his lips for a kiss. She hummed, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Can we stop by the pharmacy on our way? I need to get something to settle my stomach." That, and something else she hadn't thought she would ever again be in need of.


	3. Chapter 3

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **3**

Having made quite a spectacle of herself by throwing up all over a set of lawn furniture in front of half of the LAPD and a handful of journalists, Sharon figured that no one would be surprised if she hid away in a bathroom for a while. The only upside to this whole incident was that she hardly had it in her to feel as mortified as the situation required with that nagging suspicion that soon there would be even more reason to be laughed at. She could almost hear them gossiping about Darth Raydor, mellowed by the notorious Major Crimes squad, having fallen for and gotten knocked up by one of the biggest skirt chasers of the whole department. And at an age where condoms should be for the grandkids to make water balloons with. Unfortunately they had both somewhat assumed that they wouldn't need them. Having been single for so long, the freedom that came with being too old to worry about contraception had been new to her.

And maybe slightly premature.

It hadn't been an easy feat to smuggle three pregnancy tests through the Murder Room into the ladies room without taking her handbag to avoid drawing any more attention, but she had managed somehow. Three because she couldn't trust only one and if two showed varying results, she would surely lose it without the confirmation of a third. With the high profile case they were working, there was no way she would be able to get away to get another one any time soon. Having somehow mastered the logistics of taking three pregnancy tests at the same time and in a public bathroom no less, she placed the plastic sticks on the edge of the sink and began to bite her thumbnail.

She should have felt sick with nerves, especially after having thrown up all morning and for most of the previous week. Instead she was beginning to wonder whether today was one of these days when Daphne down in the cafeteria would serve peach ice-cream for dessert. That craving alone was a dead-giveaway. She wasn't usually overly interested in peaches and mostly forewent them in favor of oranges. Pregnancy, however, had always changed that to the point of obsession. Especially when it came to peaches and any kind of dairy product, all bets were off. Peach yogurt, peach ice-cream and peaches with cream had made Sharon so happy that people had actually given her weird looks over it.

God, she shouldn't have bothered with the pregnancy tests.

A moment later she wished she hadn't as steps could be heard outside. _Damn it_ , Sharon thought, she had expected to be the only woman on this floor on a Saturday except for Sykes and Sykes seemed to have an extraordinary bladder because she seldom took bathroom breaks at all. It seemed that today of all days was bound to be different. Lunging at the sink, she gathered the plastic sticks in her hands and frantically looked around for a place to hide them. Aware that she would regret it later, but short of an alternative, she quickly dumped them in the waste basket. Trying to adopt a nonchalant posture, she leaned against the wall next to the sink just in time for Amy Sykes to walk in.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of her captain as she was probably eager to make the best of their little moment alone. Bonding over being female was best done in a ladies' room, or so some seemed to think. Sharon genuinely liked Sykes and went to lenghths to mentor her and further her career where she could. Today, however, she wanted rid of her as soon as possible. Mostly to be able to wallow in self-pity and beat herself up over being very, very stupid.

"Oh, hi Captain! Are you better?" Amy chirped, taking in Sharon's appearance.

"Yes, much. Thank you, Amy." Sharon managed a smile, hoping that her detective wouldn't try to strike up a conversation.

"You know, I was actually just going to freshen up a little," Sykes explained and gestured at the small bag Sharon hadn't previously noticed she was carrying. "The smell inside that house _was_ terrible, wasn't it?"

"You're not saying," Sharon dead-panned, but Amy was already busy chattering away about how much press coverage their case was generating all while she washed her hands and splashed her face with water, then retrieved a small tube of hand lotion.

"Those gloves at the crime scene are so bad for your skin," she said. "Do you want some, too?" She offered the tube and Sharon almost sighed. It was a cheap drugstore product, but it was peach-scented and she wanted it.

So much.

The urge to sniff the product reminded her what she was actually in here for. Three minutes were up and she was itching to see the results.

Sykes finished putting the lotion on, oblivious to her captain's predicament, and grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser. Having taken the excess lotion off her palms, she balled the paper towel up and froze over the waste bin, about to throw it in.

"What's that?" she asked, causing Sharon to draw in a sharp breath at the sound of which the detective turned around, eyebrows raised.

"Uhhh," Sharon said, raising the corner of her mouth and failing spectacularly at trying to look and sound ignorant. Sykes bent over and retrieved the three pregnancy tests from the bin. Then she walked back to the sink and laid them all out carefully.

"I guess the results are in." She gave Sharon a beaming smile over her shoulder. "Three out of three, Captain. Congratulations! There's going to be a little Flynn running around soon."

"Oh God." Sharon's voice was little more than a high-pitched sigh. Having had suspicions beforehand didn't take the momentum away from finding out for sure, she realized only now. She was practically ancient, recently divorced, living with her subordinate without being married and very much knocked-up.

Her mother would disown her and give the baby away to be raised by nuns.

"That's such good news!" Sykes drew her into a bear hug that Sharon found surprisingly comforting given its potential for awkwardness. "Oh, you must have been trying for so long! You should have said something. My sister and her husband had trouble conceiving and she found a great clinic." She laughed. "But then you found one yourself, didn't you?"

Oh God, her detective thought that they had planned this. That at their astronomical ages they had gone out and had enlisted the help of a fertility doctor to get her pregnant. How could she explain to Sykes that they were just two surprisingly fertile idiots who had agreed that contraception was expensive, cumbersome and for the young.

She wished she could slap herself without looking as if she had lost it.

"Please don't tell anyone," she finally managed.

Sykes looked as if she was about two seconds away from clapping her hands with joy.

"Oh no, of course not!" she beamed. "Your secret is safe with me, Captain!"

Somehow that didn't make Sharon feel any better at all.

Neither did what she said next.

"You know, some people find it odd when people your age are having babies, but I find it really cute. You and Lieutenant Flynn are just meant for each other. I mean, the way you're giving each other those googly eyes even down in the morgue is just too sweet. I bet Lieutenant Flynn won't let you go anywhere by yourself anymore now that you're with child!"

Sharon wasn't sure what bothered her more: That they were perceived as lovesick puppies at work by their subordinates or that Sykes was dead-on in her assessment of Andy's attitude to the pregnancy.

He would follow her around like a watch dog. It was bad enough as it was, but as soon as he'd know about the pregnancy - and one that couldn't be expected to be easy at her age - he would probably not even allow her to go to the bathroom by herself.

And then she would have to yell at him to set him straight.

And she didn't like yelling at Andy.

Especially when she was known to go soft with hormones when pregnant. (She had once famously cried watching a commercial for laundry detergent.)

Sharon suddenly found herself assaulted by the sincere wish to go home, hide under her covers and wait for all of this to go away. Much like she had when she had learned that she was pregnant with Ricky. Unfortunately, the only thing that had gone away had been Jack.

(But at least she had been married back then.)

/

It took Andy some time to recognize the pile of blankets on the bed as his girlfriend. She was so well hidden underneath that not even her hair was visible. And that was quite something as her hair was usually all over the place. He sat down on the side of the bed and gently poked the pile with his forefinger.

It groaned.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said softly. "Can you even breathe in there?"

"I'm cold," her muffled voice informed him from somewhere under a blanket and he frowned, having previously thought that menopause brought on hot flushes rather than chills. After her less than favorable reaction the last time he had brought up the topic, he decided to restrain himself this time. Instead he began to peel the blankets away from her until he found her curled up on her side in her pajamas, looking up at him rather morosely, hair tousled and cheeks flushed.

"I think we need to talk," she said in her best Darth Raydor voice that was a little funny coming from the small curled up person he was looking up.

"What did I do this time?" he sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **4  
**

Andy was surprised when she shook her head and smiled a bit sadly. Hadn't she been addressing him with her best Darth Raydor voice just a second ago telling him they needed to talk? But now she was slipping one of her hands out from under the covers and wrapped it around his arm, pulling him towards her.

"It's not you, Andy, it's me."

Blood rushed to his head and his heart contracted painfully, "Oh my God, you're sick. Oh Sharon, why didn't you tell me? What it is? You can tell me, sweetheart, you know that I'll be here for you, no matter what…"

"Honey, stop, I'm not sick," she gently interrupted him, squeezing his arm for reassurance, "I'm perfectly healthy. In fact, I'm quite a bit more healthy than most women my age."

Healthy, that was all he heard. She was healthy! Oh thank God! "Shit, sweetheart, you scared me there for a moment!"

But something about the situation was still off. Why was she in bed, hiding under every duvet, blanket and throw her household had to offer? And she had a lot of them to start with. Nor was she normally the type to hide.

"What's my girl doing in bed in the middle of day?"

"I was cold and I needed time to think." she sighed loudly, "We really need to talk, Andy."

"Then come here and let me hold you." Andy found that conversations were always easier when they were able to touch each other. He wasn't a big fan of sitting across from her at a table like adversaries and even if Sharon claimed to be healthy, she did look like she needed a hug. Andy leaned against the headboard and pulled her, and her mountain of blankets, up to his chest. She didn't feel cold, which considering the hot Los Angeles afternoon and the air-conditioning in the condo noticeably off, didn't surprised him. She felt small though, and somehow fragile in a way he'd never seen before. When he nuzzled his face into her hair and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth, she hummed contently.

"You know, sweetheart, I've been thinking about our conversation this morning," he started, kissing her again. "Menopause isn't the end of the world. I'm not going to love you any less because you…" he faltered, embarrassed and unsure how to express himself.

"Andy, no." she groaned.

Andy had been caught in traffic on his way home and he had actually taken some time to read up on menopause, and its effects on a woman's body and, well, her sex drive. He really wanted to tell Sharon that he understood and that nothing would change between them.

"I know your body is going to change and …"

"Andy!" Sharon's voice had taken on a pained note and she lifted her face to look at him. "That really isn't what I'm worried about right now!"

"No? Come on, I know I spent a lot of time with younger women in the past but you have to give me some credit ..."

"Andy, stop! Please, just stop!"

Geez, he would never understand women, his own girlfriend in particular. Why was she using that voice with him now? What had he done wrong? He thought that he was being gentle, and sensitive, and understanding. Why was she looking at him as if she was about ready to slap him? Oh dear, if this was what menopause was going to be like, he was certainly in for a ride! Sharon sighed heavily and buried her face into his shirt. What? Now he was completely confused!

"Sweetheart? Hey, what's going on here? What are so worried about?"

Oh wait! There had been another paragraph in that article! He hadn't had time to completely finish it because traffic had started moving again. "Sharon, I … I know you won't be able to have more children now and … sweetheart, I'm fine with that. We agreed, remember? We agreed we didn't want children at our ages and … hey, I'm still on board with that, okay?"

Her head shot up and this time she looked positively murderous, "Andy, stop talking! You're only making this worse!"

Dammit! He threw up his hands in frustration. Stupid mood swings! How was he supposed to deal with them? "Then tell me what's wrong with you! You say you're fine, but you've been throwing up for weeks and you've … you've been acting so strange lately."

"That's why I said we needed to talk. Believe me, not being able to have any more children is the least of my worries! Far from it!" Jesus, why was she shouting at him now?

"Well, what is it?" he shouted back now well on the way to loosing his temper. "Because I sure as hell am lost!" He had tried to be understanding, but this woman was talking in riddles. Dammit, why couldn't she just come out and tell him what was going on?

"Honey, I'm pregnant," she said making sure to look into his eyes.

But Andy's temper had flared too much to notice her pleading look and really understand what she had told him. "What? Come on, what kind of sick joke is that? Geez, woman, stop messing with me!"

"You know how much I hate it when you call me that!" she shouted, momentarily forgetting her resolution to remain calm. Good grief, she knew he was upset! The news was shocking. She had been suspecting it for weeks, and she had still come home and hidden under her blankets, so she could make sense of it all!

Sharon took a deep breath. If she wanted to have a proper conversation with Andy today, he would have to calm down. "And you know I wouldn't make joke about that."

"How?" he blurted out.

"Excuse me? Are you seriously asking me how I got pregnant?"

"No! Good heavens, Sharon! Not that. How do you know? I mean, you said something this morning, but I thought we agreed it was menopause."

"No Andy, you said it was menopause! I didn't. And none of that matters now because I did a test, _three tests_ actually, and they all came back positive."

"Tests can be wrong."

"Andy, honey, look at me. I've been pregnant before, I know the signs. That peach soda you kept joking about, the one we got at the farmers' market last weekend? The peaches I bought and had for dinner last night? I don't even like peaches normally."

"So you eat peaches, Sharon, that's hardly conclusive proof."

Was he really not listening? How much more clearly would she have to lay this out so he would finally understand? She should have planned this conversation better. She should have taken a few days to figure out how to tell him rather than just spring this on him, but it was too late for that.

"Fine, then go take a look into the paper bag on my bedside table. Inside are three pregnancy tests I took earlier and _every single one_ is positive. I've missed two periods. I'm having morning sickness and I'm craving peaches. Andy, a pregnancy is the only logical explanation for this."

"Are you sure?"

"Seriously, what kind of detective are you, Lieutenant Flynn? Amy figured it out within a matter of seconds."

"Amy? Did you really just say Amy? What is this? Some elaborate prank? Are you filming this?"

"Oh Andy, I agree, it all seems like one big joke. Recently divorced and pregnant at fifty-one with the child of a man who's neither my husband nor ready to even acknowledge the possibility of a baby. My detective accidentally finding out about it at work before I even have a chance to tell him. Believe me, this is not how I planned my life either!"

"Amy?"

"Andy, can you concentrate on the important issue here?"

"And you told Amy?"

"Oh dammit – she walked in on me in the ladies room while I was waiting for the test results. Believe me, it was awkward enough, I'm not going to relive that experience by talking about it!"

"What did she say?"

"Andrew Flynn! Your girlfriend's just told you she's expecting your child! Focus!"

Andy bit his lip and looked at her. She was wildly beautiful in her aggravated state, the blazing eyes and flushed cheeks and underneath all that a vulnerability that was new. He couldn't find the words, but he wanted nothing more than to hold her and keep her safe, keep _them_ safe. He smiled and gently leaned in to kiss her letting his actions tell her where words failed him. He tenderly cupped her face and then ran his hands through her hair and down her body until one of them came to rest on her stomach. He could feel her shiver a little at the contact and pulled her closer with his free arm.

"Hey Mommy," he whispered into their kiss. It wasn't much and he still wasn't sure how he could express the multitude of emotions he was feeling at this very moment. Love, an overwhelming love for Sharon and their unborn child, and the burning desire to keep them safe, right by his side and never let them go. Joy coupled with fear. Her arms around him tightened as she broke off their kiss and pulled back to look at him.

Gosh, she loved him, even if he could be such an idiot at times! An adorable idiot who'd obviously used the hours since this morning to read up on menopause.

"Hey Daddy," her voice broke, "Big news, uh?"

"Sharon, I … yeah, big news. I don't know what to say, I … I guess I'm a little … overwhelmed," he stammered.

"You're not he only one. You know I could make some space for you under my blankets, honey."

"Does it help?"

"It's warm and comfy and we could hide for a while." With a smile Sharon pulled a sheet over their heads, ensconcing them in a cocoon of soft light. "Better?"


	5. Chapter 5

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **5**

They had decided not to tell anyone. Not too soon, anyway. This way there were hoping to be able to spend a little more time without constantly being made fun of. Also, as Andy had dutifully read up on, all kinds of things could go wrong with pregnancies in women Sharon's age. He had not told her what he had found out, but he suspected that she knew anyway. Luckily, right now they were far too flustered to worry a lot about what might or might not happen down the road. So far, everything looked good, or so the attending doctor had told them when they had finally managed to crawl out from under Sharon's blankets to have the pregnancy confirmed by a medical professional rather than three pregnancy tests. According to the young attending physician who had been completely unable to hide his bewilderment at two people their age coming in because of a pregnancy scare, much less an actual pregnancy, Sharon was already eleven weeks in. This week they were due to see Sharon's gynecologist and Andy was nervous as hell. Especially because Sharon kept saying that the man was "rather special", but could never be convinced to elaborate on whether that was a good or a bad thing.

While Sharon had the excuse of raging hormones for her odd behavior, Andy wasn't so lucky. The members of their squad were confused enough by the sudden changes in their Captain that brought a lot of touches and even hugs (Tao had never looked that taken-aback before and that was saying something), hurried retreats whenever she got too close to foods with distinctive smells and definite faraway looks accompanied by a hand rubbing her stomach. Only Andy and Amy Sykes - usually grinning like the Cheshire Cat - knew the significance of those touches. To the others, it was just weird.

But Andy Flynn going nuts from one day to the next was even harder for them to understand. While the changes in their Captain were mostly pleasant, even though a bit weird, Andy knew that they thought that he had finally lost it. Even before they had become romantically involved, he had felt himself becoming rather uneasy whenever Sharon decided to interview an unruly suspect. Aware that she was the boss, though, he had never really acted upon that feeling. It had become harder with their growing closeness, but now that he knew that she was carrying a baby, all bets were off.

She kept telling him that she had never encountered any problems at work during her other pregnancies and he couldn't very well argue how old she was now compared to being in her early twenties back then, but he couldn't help viewing her as fragile and in need of his protection. It was ridiculous, he knew, but he couldn't shake it off. Sharon was becoming more and more annoyed, he could tell, but he just couldn't help himself. She wasn't used to being pampered and she sure as hell didn't appreciate it. Every morning while shaving, Andy resolved to be reasonable for at least a day.

He usually lasted for two hours at most.

Today was going well so far. Pretending not to, Andy watched Sharon in her office, bent over the basket of peaches she had brought in with her that morning, hand hovering over one for a moment just to then go for another. Who was she kidding? She would eat all of them anyway. Sharon turned around and looked at him, raising her eyebrows playfully as she took a bite out of her peach, her eyes lighting up with pleasure as usual.

Andy absent-mindedly sorted through the stack of mail on his desk and frowned when he found an otherwise unmarked envelope with his name in bold printed letters. A practical joke, maybe? He looked around to see whether anyone was watching and giving themselves away, but no one was looking while engrossed in the reports they were writing. It was one of the rare slow days in the department and he was looking forward to taking Sharon to dinner later. After a moment's hesitance, he sliced the envelope open and retrieved what was inside.

His breath caught.

There was a photo of himself and Sharon, walking hand in hand by the beach while Rusty was slouching after them, looking mildly annoyed and playing with his phone. Sharon was smiling up at Andy while she was eating ice cream, hair blown away by the wind, eyes sparkling with endearment for him. For a moment he marveled at their obvious happiness, then reality sank in. He flipped the picture around and found what he had been dreading.

Stroh had scrawled the words on the back, not bothering to disguise the familiar handwriting.

" _Enjoy while it lasts. I never leave a witness.- PS_ "

Andy dropped the picture, his eyes darting towards Sharon who was still eating her peach, looking slightly reminiscent of Chief Johnson eating candy. If he hadn't been as worried as he was, he would have thought about whether she was also groaning with pleasure. If not for those little sounds she made when she was enjoying herself, they probably wouldn't be preparing to be parents again right now...

Oh God, Stroh was on the loose and they were becoming parents again! He looked back up at Sharon who had gone back to work, focused on the report she was reading. Andy got to his feet, grabbed the picture and stormed into her office without bothering to knock, banging the door behind him. Sharon jumped, her eyes wide and her hand pressed against her chest in shock.

"Andy! What on earth is wrong with you?" She glanced out at the Murder Room where the rest of the squad was looking on with interest while Provenza was rolling his eyes and fanning himself with a newspaper.

"What is wrong with me?" he shouted, conveniently forgetting for a moment that she had no way of knowing what he was currently so upset about. "This is wrong!" He slammed the picture down on the desk in front of her, making her jump again. She carefully picked it up by its corner, paying a lot more attention to keeping her own fingerprints off it than he had. Seeing the smudges his fingers had left on it, she frowned up at him.

"Now who's the seasoned homicide detective and who is the rookie who was stuck in FID all this time?" she asked him sarcastically, studying Stroh's message on the back of the picture. When he didn't reply but just crossed his arms, wondering silently how on earth she could be joking right now, she placed the photo down on the desk and walked around it. He couldn't see her face, but he was pretty sure she was throwing a smirk at the rest of the squad before she snapped the blinds shut.

When she turned back around, her expression was soft.

"He's all about the threatening letters, that Stroh," she said lightly. "He should stop signing them 'PS', though. Confuses me every time because it sounds as if he was going to add an afterthought."

Andy looked at her incredulously when the pieces began to fall into place.

"You got one of these as well?" he asked her, his voice rising inevitably, but then Sharon was used to his outbursts from way back when he had been in and out of her office with disciplinary violations every other week.

She stepped close to him and placed her hand on his chest. "Andy, Stroh has been sending these ever since his escape. I am sure he is not actually the one who is taking these pictures. He is a psychopath who wants to scare us, that's all."

Andy couldn't believe it. His face began to grow hot and if he had had to guess, he would have said that his blood pressure was skyrocketing right now.

"That's all? A psychopath taunting you? Sharon, how can you be so calm about this?" he demanded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"This is precisely why," Sharon said reasonably. "I didn't want you to worry. Provenza knows. Taylor knows. There are security details watching us. Not very good ones, I guess, since they missed someone taking pictures of us in broad daylight."

Andy shook his head, completely taken aback by the recent development. "You are pregnant, Sharon," he said helplessly. "Has it ever occurred to you how vulnerable that makes you? Oh God."

Sharon closed the distance between them with two long steps, looking worried as she grabbed his arm and led him towards her desk chair where she forced him to sit.

"Honey, I think it's your blood pressure," she said gently. "Have some water."

What kind of expectant father was he? Andy wondered. Blood-pressure sky-high and freaking out about Stroh, he reminded himself of his old Uncle Jerry who had kept expecting the Germans to invade the country way into the late nineties.

Sharon leaned back against the desk and placed her hands on either of his thighs, looking into his eyes. Andy reached out for her waist, his thumb tracing the flesh of her stomach.

"I didn't tell you because I knew you would lose it, Andy," Sharon said softly. "Provenza and I agreed that you would be better left in the dark."

Andy let out a puff of air. "You're in cahoots with Provenza?!" he snapped at her. "What's next?"

Sharon huffed, straightening up. "More so than you think. Don't be too surprised if this baby girl ends up being a grumpy crosswords-lover."

Andy's eyes widened. "That is _not_ funny!" Then something struck him and he stumbled to his feet. "Wait, what did you say? Baby girl? How would you even know? The doctor at the ER said he couldn't tell from the ultrasound!"

Sharon placed her hand over her abdomen. "A mother knows," she said stubbornly.

There was a beat of silence during which Andy was contemplating whether he could get away with pointing out the obvious. In the end he decided to risk it.

"Then why is Ricky wearing pink in all of his early baby pictures?" Andy cocked an eyebrow at her, Stroh and the threat he posed to their family momentarily forgotten.

"That was an unfortunate inaccuracy on my part," Sharon said, not meeting Andy's eyes.

"Inaccuracy!" Andy was chuckling now besides himself. "You either get it right or you get it wrong, Sharon. There is no such thing as an in-between." He slid his arms around her waist and marveled at how good it felt just to touch her. "I'm sure it is a boy," he informed her. "We shall call him Andrew Junior."

She squinted up at him, obviously not sure whether he was being serious or not. "We shall do no such thing," she said with emphasis. Stroking his chest, she leaned into him to place a soft kiss to his lips.

"We're well-protected, honey. There is no reason to worry."

"Other than a madman being on the loose and wanting to kill you," Andy pointed out dryly.

"Oh, well," Sharon said playfully. "That."

Upon his frown, she became serious again. "I've been over this with Provenza, Andy. Stroh is not stupid. He knows that he will get caught if he comes near Rusty or me. He knows that we have police details and he knows that we have you now. He wants to torture us from afar because he knows he can't kill us."

Andy considered what she had just said for a minute, then pulled her close and rested his cheek against the top of her head. Sharon's arms came up around him and her hands disappeared under his suit jacket, coming to rest against his back reassuringly.

"If something does happen, you need to stay close," she said against his neck where she had buried her face. She had told him more than once that his scent helped the nausea and for some reason being the antidote to her morning sickness filled him with pride. "I'm not sure exactly just how good I will be at wielding fire extinguishers in a few months time."

He drew back a little to be able to look into her eyes. "You will attempt no such thing, do you hear me?" he told her sternly.

She rolled her eyes. "How would I when you don't even let me carry a bottle of water these days?"

"It was a very big bottle!" he protested.

"You need to be more relaxed about this," Sharon said gently, tracing his side with her fingers. "And I'm not talking about Stroh, here. I am talking about my pregnancy as a whole. Either it will go alright or it won't, but you hovering over me like a mother hen won't change it either way." She smiled up at him. "I'm fine, Andy. Old and tired and feeling sick all the time while consuming peaches at an alarming rate, but I'm fine."

Andy ran his hand through her hair and the mere fact that she let him mess it up in the office told him that she was indulging him.

"If Stroh as much as comes near you, I'll make sure that he regrets it," he said earnestly, breathing in the light flowery scent of her perfume. When she didn't answer, he drew back and let out a snort of laughter at the guilty expression she was wearing, having tried to reach the peaches while still enclosed in his arms.

He reached over and got one for her, placing it in her palm.

"You be good, Sharon Raydor," he warned.

"And you, Andy Flynn!" she called after him on his way to the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **6  
**

After work, Andy had told Sharon in no uncertain terms that he was driving her home and that she should not even think about objecting. He was in full work mode, constantly checking around them to see if they were being followed or threatened in any way. The whole car was bristling with his nervous energy and he had his hand on his gun when he came around to open the door for her. Sharon felt rather like having her personal bodyguard, a bodyguard who held her hand and kissed her soundly the moment they were in the elevator. Sharon gratefully relaxed into Andy's embrace. She hadn't meant for him to find out like this, but sharing the burden had been good. Over the past weeks she had sometimes worried how she should protect Rusty or herself once she was further along in her pregnancy, and Andy seemed to be taking it okay.

When Andy immediately excused himself to go to the bathroom she wasn't too surprised. She knew he would be making sure all windows and doors were securely locked, and probably peek into the cupboards as well just to assure himself that Stroh wasn't there. She sat down at the table and closed her eyes, imaging their lives a few months from now, herself heavy with child, talking, making plans, having dinner together. Dinner. Hmm. What would they have for dinner? She felt like icecream, or maybe peach cobbler. Hmm, yes her grandmother's recipe … that sounded yummy! Lost in her daydreams of sweet, crunchy pastry and still warm succulent peaches, it took her a while to notice that Andy hadn't come back like she had expected him to.

"Honey, what would you like for dinner?" she called and pushed herself up out of the chair. Maybe she could convince Andy to make that cobbler for her! She licked her lips in anticipation and made her way to the bedroom. The sight that greeted her there made her smirk. Andy was lying on their bed covered by her favourite black and white striped blanket with only his feet sticking out.

"Andy?"

A grunt.

"Why are you hiding under my blankets?"

"Come here!" His voice was gruff, and much louder than she would have expected it.

"Is that an order, Lieutenant?"

"You bet it is! Now get in here and talk to me!"

The moment she eased herself down next to him he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "Dammit, Sharon. If I didn't love you so much I'd kill you for keeping this from me."

"Good thing you love me, then," she whispered, returning his kiss with more tenderness.

"Not funny!" Andy knew full well that there was no point in arguing with her about what was already done. She had tried to protect him. His pregnant girlfriend had tried to protect him, the seasoned homicide detective. "Sweetheart, you know that I worry about you. Can you at least promise me you'll tell me if you receive anymore threats?"

Sharon merely continued placing soft kisses to his lips, running her fingers through his hair and humming softly when he tightened his embrace even more. "Honey, do you know how to make peach cobbler?"

"I do, but how did we get from threats against your life to peach cobbler?"

"I want peach cobbler for dinner, and if you make it for me, I promise to tell you about any new threats."

/

The next morning they finally had the appointment to see Sharon's long-term OB/GYN, the man who had delivered both Emily and Ricky, and whose wife, Betty, had become a good friend. A good friend who, it turned out, had only just found out that Sharon was expecting.

„Sharon, there you are! I can't believe _you_ are pregnant! What a lovely surprise! Mamma Sharon, come here and let me give you a hug! Now tell me everything. Everything!" Betty pronounced every syllable while she pulled Sharon into a bear hug, "I couldn't believe my eyes when I checked Doc's schedule this morning. My dear friend Sharon coming in for an antenatal visit! Who'd have thought! Now tell me, how did this happen?"

Sharon returned the woman's embrace heartily and laughed, "Oh Betty, just the way these things usually happen."

"You mean you got carried away. At your age! How exciting!"

"Betty, please!" Sharon tried to protest knowing it would be futile. If Betty was on a roll, she was unstoppable. "It's so nice to see you, too! Now tell me, how have you been?"

But Betty didn't respond to Sharon's attempt at changing the subject, instead continuing in so perfect an imitation of Sharon's voice that Andy could only shake his head in laughter, "Oh, this is terribly embarrassing, but I don't really know how this could have happened. We were so careful. Betty, I'm telling you, we really were careful this time!"

Andy was still laughing, "I'm getting to know a whole new side of you, sweetheart!" This woman was like a tornado and he was amazed to see Sharon being happily pulled along. Sharon had talked about her OB/GYN and said that he was special, but this Betty person was quite something, too.

It was as though Betty was noticing him for the first time since they had walked into the surgery. "Sharon, look at you. One surprise after another! It looks like you've finally come to your senses and ditched that idiot." Then she let go of Sharon and extended a hand to him, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "Mr. Baby Daddy, I presume?"

"Will you stop it! Gosh, Betty! Really! Meet Andrew Flynn, my partner, and Andy, this is Betty Cottle. She's …"

"I'm the one who keep this place running while my grumpy husband plays doctor with all the young women that come to visit."

Andy's breath caught for a second, but then he watched Sharon's dissolve in laughter, "Oh Betty, some things never change, do they? Do you remember when he promised to stop calling me young woman when I made Lieutenant?"

"I seem to recall there was another condition, something about no more 'accidental pregnancies'?"

And then Sharon's blushed and started fanning herself, making a incomprehensible noises. God, she was adorable! Andy had never seen her so flustered, and happy at the same time. He had to make her tell him all these stories. Who would ever have thought that Sharon had friends like this, friends who got away with teasing her and all she did was smile and blush. Suddenly Andy couldn't wait to meet the doctor. If his wife was anything to go by …

Betty was now putting her hands on both her hips, vigorously shaking her head. "And now look at you, Sharon. You can't be all that much younger than me. Who knew you still had it in you?"

"Well, Andy and I certainly didn't!" Sharon wrapped her arm around Andy's waist and pulled him close. "And I will insist that this counts as a miracle rather than an accident. I'm telling you, the young doctor at Cedar's ER thought we were quite a show!"

"I imagine he would have! Well, you know you're in good hands here." Betty's whole demeanour suddenly changed: gone was the exuberant laughing to reveal a warm caring woman who gently patted Sharon's hand. "Go and take a seat. I'll let him know you're here. And congratulations to the both of you."

Andy watched the two women look at each other and he found himself getting curious about their history. It seemed strange for someone to take such liberties with Sharon – and to get away with it. He wondered what Sharon had been like in her twenties, before Jack and the reality of living with an alcoholic had changed her. She seemed so serious now, at least on the outside, but over the years he had started to see beyond that. She could be downright goofy, even if it wasn't brought on by pregnancy hormones like her recent penchant for hugging everyone and hiding under blankets.

"The Cottles and I go back a long time. I hope you didn't feel left out."

Her concern touched him and he pulled her close, "I love seeing you so relaxed, sweetheart."

"He's ready to see you now. Just to give you a head's up, he's convinced this is all one big prank."

Sharon rolled her eyes and pointed with her chin to Andy. "So did this one here."

"Men." Betty responded with another eye roll.

"Men, indeed. Well, let's go, Andy, you'll finally get to meet Doc Cottle."

Andy wasn't sure what to think, but he stood up and offered his hand to Sharon, which she, of course, ignored. Damn independence, he was only trying to be a gentleman while she insisted on showing him she didn't need his help. But she did grab his hand when they started into the direction Betty had indicated.

"Well, well, well young lady, what a lovely surprise you're paying us a visit down here in our quarters." The white-haired man with a tanned complexion that spoke of his love for Los Angeles' beaches walked around his desk with a big smile and an unlit cigarette dangling from the side of his mouth.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Doc."

"And I see you've brought a friend." He eyed Andy curiously, nodding when Sharon introduced the two men. She had to suppress a smile when she noticed them seizing each other up, each with his particular brand of protectiveness for her. Over two decades ago Sharon had been one of the first patients at Doctor Cottle newly opened surgery. She had met his wife Betty at a Lamaze course where they had bonded over the absence of their husbands, one because he was delivering other women's babies the other because he was nursing his bourbon or a hangover. While the two women had struck up an immediate friendship, Sharon never would have gone back after that legendary first appointment if it hadn't been for Betty. Then, as she got to know the Doc, she had learned to see beyond the rough exterior to the warm-hearted man and caring physician he was.

"It may come as a surprise for you, but my chart tells me you're here for an antenatal check-up."

Sharon blushed a little, her hand closing around Andy's as she nodded furiously.

"Which, given your age, is impossible, so that only leaves one option: fertility treatments. Why would a woman of your age and emotional maturity consider that a prudent course of action?"

"Indeed, why would I? We didn't get any treatment, this … just happened." Sharon's cheeks were burning. She had expected the question, but this kind of interrogation was still a little hard to stomach.

"And I am Father Christmas. Young lady, these things don't _just happen at your age."_

"But it did!" Andy leaped to Sharon's support, almost growling at the other man. Who did the old guy think he was? He might be doctor, but he was going to show him how to treat his Sharon.

"Ah, ah, ah! Let me be the judge of that."

Sharon patted Andy's arm, giving him a warning look and silently telling him to step down. "The pregnancy's already confirmed by an ultrasound at the ER."

The doctor shook his head and mumbled something about ERs and clueless greenhorns. "Now, climb up on the table so we can see what's really going on."

"Sweetheart," Andy whispered when the strange doctor had turned around to give Sharon some privacy while she took off her clothes. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hell, it was the worst idea ever! He needed somebody competent to look after his girlfriend and their baby and not this … this guy with his rude sense of humour! Sharon laid a soft hand against the side of his face, looking deeply into his eyes. "I told you Doc Cottle was special, didn't I?"

Good grief, why did she have to be so stubborn. Surely she had to see that she needed a specialist, someone who looked after her and their baby properly. "But I'm not sure he's the right person to look after you and our baby. He's so …"

"Rude? Grumpy? Trust me, he's a great doctor. Don't let yourself be fooled by his attitude."

Andy pulled out his last and, he thought, rather brilliant, argument: "But he doesn't even believe you are pregnant!"

"Neither did you!" This time it was Andy's turn to blush. Before he could think of a suitable comeback, the doctor was back, ordering Sharon to lift her top so he could start the ultrasound. Their little argument was quickly forgotten as the sound of their baby's rapid heartbeats filled the room leaving three sets of eyes looking at the imagine on the screen in wonder.

"I've never seen anything like it. Sharon, would you care to explain why an educated and intelligent woman like you doesn't use contraception?"

Andy rolled his eyes, this was going to be a long appointment!


	7. Chapter 7

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **7**

Sharon's stomach was becoming rounder each day and it sure as hell wasn't the peach cobbler she had become somewhat addicted to ever since she had found out just how well Andy knew how to make it. According to Doc Cottle, her pregnancy was going "ridiculously well considering your biblical age, young lady" and she tended to agree. Apart from some rather embarrassing moments when she had been unable to stop herself from hugging people or tearing up at random moments, she felt fine. She wasn't so sure about the people in her life, however. While Sykes had reacted to being spontaneously hugged by her boss with a beaming smile on her face despite the fact that the embrace had come as a disproportionate reaction to her bringing up a box of files, Provenza was a different story. He wasn't overly fond of physical interaction and his perpetual grumpiness had always made it easy for Sharon to keep her hands to herself and refrain from the reassuring pats on the shoulder she gave her other squad members. But the other day, she had unwittingly snuggled into his shoulder in the tech room while watching an interview. She had almost toppled out of her chair when he had sprung to his feet while making an exaggerated show of brushing dirt off of his shoulder. Even though she had found her balance in time, Andy had immediately jumped to full caveman mode, telling Provenza off for almost hurting her. Provenza, of course, had retorted by accusing Andy of being an "overbearing mother hen". Where Sharon usually broke up their fights, she had remained silent that time because she quite agreed with her second in command's assessment.

Andy constantly hovering over her was as sweet as it was annoying. Even though once, she had to admit, she had lost it for a second and had thrown a pen at him when his head had appeared in the creak of her office door for the fifth time in an hour while she was having a hard time concentrating on her paperwork.

Sightings of Stroh came far and few between and never close to Los Angeles. Ever since the card that Andy had received, Stroh hadn't sent any other messages which constituted the longest stretch of time she had gone without receiving any ever since his escape. Even though she was not entirely convinced that the absence of contact was actually a good sign, it did allow her focus to shift. And her new focus was the size of her stomach and the inconveniences that came along with it. Her clothes not fitting her properly being one, and her being nervous about people noticing being another.

With Andy in the bathroom shaving and probably murmuring to himself about keeping a grip on his protectiveness for one day and one day only, Sharon stood in front of the full view mirror, her hair and make-up fixed, but still in her underwear. She thought of the angry red lines that yesterday's pants - once a generous fit - had inflicted on her lower abdomen and chose to go for a dress. Having pulled a beige Armani dress that Gavin had once called baggy with a disapproving clicking of his tongue over her head, she eyed herself critically. It was a little obvious that the dress was as baggy as ever except in one place, but one of her more loose-fitting jackets would take care of that. She shrugged into the navy blue blazer that she liked so much and that, coincidentally was among the few that still easily buttoned. Before she took care of that, however, she touched her stomach through the fabric of the dress, caressing it softly.

"Don't you think it's time you made your presence known to your daddy, too?" she asked softly. "Because, my little peach, he would love that."

 _Little Peach_ was the sappy little nickname Andy had come up with for their baby. She used it only when he wasn't around to not give him the satisfaction of hearing her condone it. She had been feeling the baby's movements for a few weeks now and Andy was anxious to be able to, too. Sharon stood for a moment with her eyes closed, swaying gently on her feet. The days felt longer now that her feet were aching and she was craving the weirdest things. Whenever they weren't in a frenzy over a case, she spent entire hours looking up peach recipes on her phone. Not that she wouldn't have been happy eating the same dishes over and over, but she could tell that Andy was becoming a little tired of them.

"You're just like your brother and sister," she told the baby on her way to the kitchen. "Making me all sappy and crazy for peaches."

"And how exactly am I doing that?"

Sharon would have admitted without a moment's hesitation that her pregnancy was making her a little scatterbrained at times, but she sure as hell was not and had never been prone to hallucinations. Turning around on her heel, she found Rusty standing there, eyebrows raised in amusement and slight bewilderment. Bewilderment. That was his reaction to a lot of things she did nowadays which only figured if one took into account that he was living with her and therefore experienced her new habits first hand. For example, the other day she had had an entire conversation with him while hugging a pillow to her upper body because he had surprised her by getting home early and she had only been in a tight-fitting tank top. There had been no way to miss how utterly strange he had found her taking the throw pillow into her bedroom with her.

"Honey, I, um, I wasn't talking to-" she realized her mistake only when she had already said the words.

Realization dawned in his eyes as they flitted down to her middle where both hands were still pressed to her very visible bump under the still unbuttoned jacket and back up to the probably goofy expression on her face.

For a second, she debated pretending that Emily and Ricky had another sibling she had never mentioned before.

"They said you were too old."

That was not a good way to open this conversation, Sharon decided, because she had no idea how to react to that gracefully.

"Surprise, Buster, I'm not," she said instead and even though she was feeling only mildly distressed, her voice came out shaky and carrying a clear hint of tears.

"Oh God," Rusty continued, apparently oblivious to her tearful reaction. "I mean, I spoke to this girl at school about it and told her how old you are and she said no way." Sharon tried to say something, but he didn't let her and that was just as well since she was embarrassingly unprepared for this to happen. Her preoccupation with peaches had kind of let her cut herself some slack in other departments.

As in thinking about how to explain her pregnancy to her family and friends. (And superiors - oh how she was dreading that.)

Rusty ran a hand through his messy hair, his book bag abandoned next to his left foot, shoelaces still untied. His eyes were wide and just a little bit glassy. It was exactly the look Ricky had worn all the way back when she had explained to him that the universe was endless. The concept of endlessness had simply been too complex for him to take in.

"I should have trusted the evidence! I mean, at first you were throwing up every day and all the time for two months straight. Morning sickness is not just for mornings. I googled it! And those peaches! You don't even like peaches! And those websites I never wanted in my google search history also said that pregnant women are supposed to become really emotional and I saw you crying at an infomercial the other day!"

Sharon looked down at her hands in embarrassment, then quickly dropped them when she realized that she was still holding on to her middle. "It was about a malfunctioning cat flap and that little kitten was stuck outside in the rain," she murmured, feeling herself beginning to tear up again.

That poor little kitty!

Just a tiny, mewling ball of fur outside in the rain, missing its mommy.

She furtively dabbed at her eyes.

"You don't even really like cats!" Rusty argued heatedly which made her look up at him again.

"Do you want a cat?" she asked him hopefully. "We could get you a cat."

Rusty stared at her, his mouth hanging open.

"Well, no cat then." She awkwardly waved her hand in the air.

"You're really pregnant," Rusty said. "How is that even possible?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but Rusty turned another shade paler and raised his hand before she could say anything.

"No, no! Please, please don't tell me! I mean, I've successfully been telling myself that old people like you and Flynn only hold hands and watch black and white movies together and never do the nasty. I would rather prefer to stay in my happy little illusion. Thank you very much-"

He finally took a moment to look at her when she let out a gasp and his agitation instantly turned into concern. "Sharon? Sharon, are you alright?"

"Oh my God, Rusty!" she said breathlessly, one hand holding on to his arm while the other was pressed to her stomach.

Rusty looked absolutely horrified.

"How long has this been going on, Sharon? Are you in labor? Oh my God, are you having the baby right now? They say something about hot water and towels in the movies. What are they for, Sharon? What are they for? Oh no, I don't want to see this. I will not be able to UNSEE this. Oh God, oh God! Flynn! FLYNN!"

Sharon was unable to stop his rant until he ran out of air and had to stop to draw in deep, terrified breaths of air. Grabbing one of his hands that he had been waving above his head, she laid it against her belly.

"I'm not having the baby now, silly," she admonished him gently. "I'm only four months pregnant. Can you feel that? That's it. That's the baby."

Their eyes met and Rusty looked every bit as horrified as he had earlier. "This is so fucking creepy," he said in a strangled voice.

"Language, Rusty," she reminded him sternly.

"But there is a little creature inside you that is growing and growing and finally-"

She huffed. "Rusty, this is not _Alien_."

"How do you even know?" Rusty said tonelessly. "That isn't any less absurd than you having a baby at your age." Despite his rather harsh words, he did not take his hand away from her stomach but moved his thumb slightly against the movement inside.

A little late to the party, Flynn stumbled into the hallway, chin full of shaving cream, still holding his old-fashioned shaver. His eyes were darting from Sharon to Rusty and back.

"Oh God, honey, are you okay? Is everything alright?" he rambled.

"Man, this also explains why he is acting like your personal bodyguard. Knock it off, Flynn. It's only a baby," Rusty said smartly. He had surely recovered fast. "It's not like she is stalked by a serial killer or-"

His face turned green.

"Damn, Sharon! Why now? Why couldn't you have waited until Stroh is caught?"

Sharon ignored him for the time being and smiled over at Andy who looked a little ridiculous with the lower half of his face covered in white.

"It's alright, honey. Come here. The baby is moving." Flynn followed her invitation and stepped behind her facing Rusty who stepped back - though not without taking the time to inform him that what he was about to feel was "creepy". Andy's big hand covered almost all of Sharon's lower stomach, but she gently moved it to where she had last felt their baby's movements. Andy's other arm came around her upper body, holding her against him as he gently pressed his cheek to hers.

"Wow," he whispered and she could feel his grin against her face despite the shaving cream sticking to both of their skins now. "Hello little peach."

"Little Peach?" Rusty sounded rather exasperated now. "Really?"

"I told you it was too much," Sharon told Andy, lips curling into an amused grin.

"That kid is going to have some serious issues if you keep this up. I bet Lieutenant Provenza-" Rusty's brow furrowed. "Wait. Does he know yet?"

Two pairs of eyes nearly nailed him to the spot. "Nobody knows yet," Sharon told Rusty. "And we would like to keep it that way for a while."

Rusty snorted. "You sure won't be able to hide it for very much longer," he said pointedly. "And besides, Sharon, shaving cream on your face is not the look for you."

Sharon narrowed her eyes, then laid her hand on top of Andy's, caressing his knuckles. "We should get cleaned up and get ready for work. Otherwise we'll be late," she said to him before turning back to Rusty. "As for you, Mister, doesn't your first course start in twenty minutes?"

Rusty raised his hands in mock defeat. "So you expect me to keep my mouth shut, not talk to anybody about your amazing ability to reproduce forever and go to a class just after I have learned of it all?"

Sharon softened a little. "Rusty, I'm sorry for keeping this quiet for so long. We just needed some time to come to terms with it ourselves, you see?"

Rusty shrugged. "Yeah, I get it."

"Are you okay with it?" she asked carefully.

He shrugged again. "Let me just think about it for a while. I'll get back to you." He shouldered his bag and walked to the front door, then paused with his hand on the doorknob and turned around with a cheeky grin.

"Just, whatever you do, Sharon: Don't think about the little kitty locked out of the house in the rain." With that, he was out of the door, leaving a completely confused Andy in Sharon's right embrace as she pressed her face into his chest.


	8. Chapter 8

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **8**

That same night Sharon woke up to an unfamiliar feeling on her stomach. Where was Andy? She could hear his voice, but he didn't hold her the way he usually did. As sleep began to clear she realised that his voice was coming from lower down in the bed and that he was kissing and caressing her stomach. He was talking to their daughter! Her heart melted instantly - how adorable! He talked to their daughter while she was asleep! She stayed still, not wanting to interrupt the father-daughter moment and straining to hear what he was saying. It seemed that Andy had developed a whole new relationship with their daughter now that he could finally feel her movements with his own hands. Before, their baby had been something a little abstract, visible only in the growing curve of her belly and on the ultrasounds the strange Doctor Cottle performed, but now he could feel the little kicks and flutters – and their daughter had become real. Sharon's tired brain recalled that Andy had been kissing and caressing her stomach before falling asleep, too. And now he was singing! He was singing a little bedtime song to their tiny baby! Sharon was so excited, she forgot all about pretending to sleep and lovingly ran her hands through his hair and over his neck. She could hear him chuckle as he kissed her stomach again. "Daddy needs to get better at singing you to sleep, my little peach. Now we managed to wake up your mommy!" Sharon stretched lazily, inadvertently hitting Andy's nose with her stomach and it was her turn to giggle. "Seems our little peach is not quite so little anymore." Gosh, she was happy! She knew they had so much to do, so many people to break the news of their pregnancy to, she had no clothes to wear, but in this moment, she was perfectly content. "I'm glad you woke me, honey, I wouldn't have missed this for the world!"

As they were getting ready for work the next morning, Andy heard a popping sound followed by a hiss and curse from Sharon. "That's it. This afternoon I'm going to buy maternity clothes!" He couldn't understand the aggravation. He loved the idea of Sharon in maternity wear, of looking pregnant for all to see – and of finally being comfortable again. He had seen the deep red lines her trousers left on her belly and they looked painful. With a few steps he was next to her and pulled her into his arms, her trousers now sliding down her legs. His girlfriend had a wardrobe full of clothes, she loved shopping and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why she hadn't gone and gotten maternity clothes earlier. But he settled on being the supportive boyfriend. "If we don't get a case we can already start at lunchtime. Freedom for our little peach."

"And for her mother's ever growing stomach!" Sharon shot back and sighed, "until then, I'm going to fix these with some elastic."

"You could borrow a pair of my suspenders. I've got some that would match the colour of your shirt," he suggested only half joking and earned himself a slap on the chest and an early morning glare. He loved the early morning glares, unfocussed without her glasses making her look cute and utterly kissable rather than intimidating. He kissed her nose and conceded, "I agree that isn't exactly your style, sweetheart, but I for one wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you!"

If one were to ask Sharon, their joint shopping trip was a resounding disappointment while Andy considered it a pregnancy hormone related breakdown on her side. Pregnancy hormones my ass, Sharon thought, how could a man who dressed so stylishly himself and seemed to love the way she looked have such godawful taste? He brought her the most mumsy dresses that made her look nine months pregnant already. Did he want her to look huge and unappealing? "No, sweetheart, I want you to be comfortable, I don't want you to be in pain and … I don't want to hurt the little peach." With a properly fitting dress? Did that man have no taste in women's clothes? And then he made her sit down every ten minutes, kept pressing food and water onto her as if she was running a marathon. After two hours, an equal number of temper tantrums, an almost breakdown in the changing rooms of Neiman Marcus and five scared young shopping assistants, they decided to call it quits staring at each other in utter frustration. But not before Sharon threw a peach at his head and only narrowly missed did she remember that they had never once shopped together. "Andy, I love you, I really do, but you are driving me crazy. I'm calling Gavin!" And because Andy loved her, too, but mostly because she had another peach in her hand, a juicy one this time, he quickly agreed.

/

"Sharon, what a pleasure to see you! It's been absolutely ages! I was beginning to think you had forgotten your best friend!" Gavin got up from the elegant chair of their favourite French bistro and pulled his friend into a tight hug, but then he pushed her back and eyed her critically. "Although seeing you in that dress I'm beginning to think you've come to spite me. It still doesn't suit you, but it does seem to be a tighter fit than it used to be."

Sharon rolled her eyes – there had been no way Gavin wouldn't notice. "You certainly have a way to make a woman feel good about herself."

"Oh darling, I will make you feel good about yourself and the first order of day is to get you out of this dress into something more becoming!" Gavin looked at her with an excited expression on his face.

"You're going to laugh, but that's exactly what I came for."

"Now we're talking! Why would you wear this … this … this, gosh, this …" He threw his hands up in frustration at the dress, not even able to find the proper words. "This utter monstrosity!" he finally sputtered.

"Gavin, please, I need your help getting a new wardrobe for an undercover assignment." she whispered and leaned in conspiratorially.

"Now that sounds like fun!" Gavin spun her around. "What's it gonna be? Dirty, slutty, sexy, powerful? Although powerful you've already done and you're getting better at the sexy, too. Talking about that, how's that boyfriend of yours?" he pulled back her chair to help her sit down and settled back in himself.

"Oh, just peachy." Sharon laughed at her own joke. "We're still very much in love," she confided and noticed her cheeks reddening. It was true though, they were in love – and a lot more than just that. They had even forgiven each other for their little shopping disaster and that second peach had ended up where it was meant to be, in her stomach. "So, this undercover assignment is something entirely different. I need you to help me shop for maternity wear."

Gavin rolled his eyes, "Please tell me that this is a joke? Going undercover as a pregnant fifty-one-year old? Sharon, no offense, you do look _a lot_ younger, but nobody is going to buy that story. Is the LAPD really that short staffed?"

"Geez, thank you for pointing out my ancient age, Gavin! Well, I'm glad to tell you it is a joke, but not the part you think."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "What are you going undercover as?"

"I am not going undercover," Sharon said in a measured tone, her eyes never leaving his.

"You … wait. Sharon Elisabeth O'Dwyer Raydor, are you trying to tell me that you are actually pregnant?"

"Gavin Quentin Baker III! You do not get to make fun of me, and you do not get to laugh!"

"But how?"

How her high-powered attorney friend actually managed to look lost was beyond her. How? What was wrong with all the men in her life? First Andy, then Cottle and now Gavin, too? It seemed like her son was the most mature one of the bunch! "Gavin! How would you think a woman gets pregnant? It seems like only yesterday you were telling me to get in there and enjoy … the physical aspect of my relationship with Andy."

"Darling, I said _enjoy the sex_ , not go and get knocked up."

"In case you forgot, for those of use who are straight, there's a clear connection between the two!"

After Gavin had recovered from the initial shock, he looked at Sharon again and smiled. His best friend was pregnant. How exciting! And she did look radiant, particularly with that slight blush on her cheeks. He stretched out his arm silently asking her permission to touch her stomach. "She's not moving right now, but I'll tell you once she does. And don't you dare compare this to alien!"

"Was that the dad or the siblings?" Good, at least Gavin hadn't lost all of his perceptiveness.

"Rusty. Apparently he's even been talking to some girl at college about the possibility of his old mother being pregnant. Oh, and my older children were their jolly little selves – you know them! Of course Rusty told them right away – even though we swore him to secrecy! I don't think Ricky ever watched Jack in court, but he was all his father when he put Andy through a proper interrogation about his real intentions towards me pointing out several times that I was divorced and that at my age people didn't really become pregnant out of wedlock. Can you believe it? Ricky. Emily was very mature giving me guidance on what to eat and what to avoid and now I'm worried why she knows so much about pregnancy when the subject has never been of the slightest interest to her! But the best was Andy's daughter Nicole - because Rusty just couldn't keep his mouth shut. Well, I guess he only talked to his siblings and we've always encouraged them to be like real siblings. Thank God he hasn't yet talked to Provenza, but Nicole. Oh my! She has this weird sort of hero worship for her father now. I mean, it's wonderful for Andy but I kind of feel like we're some prize cattle and he's the bull who managed to ... uh! I love them, I really do, but those are conversations I don't want to relive anytime soon!"

Gavin couldn't stop laughing. "Darling, stop rambling. So your children know, and seem to be a mix of okay to over the moon happy. Ricky wants Andy to make you an honourable woman which, by the way, is something I wholeheartedly approve of, but I would advise to wait until you fit into a proper dress …"

"Gavin!" Sharon slammed her hand down on the table. "Please!"

"And you, my darling friend, are nothing short of a medical miracle! All's good, now let's get you some clothes to show off that baby bump of yours." He flailed his hands in excitement, "I have never ever done maternity wear, nor did I ever think I would. Sharon, this is excellent, the best challenge yet."

"See? That odd kind of excitement? You're like Nicole. I am _not_ a challenge and we've been shopping together for at least ten years. Please get it together." Gavin rolled his eyes at his friend's suddenly very prim voice and gave her a bright smile. He knew just how to treat this funny mood of hers.

Since Sharon, always prepared as was in her nature, had already picked out a number of designer maternity wear boutiques, they were soon in their element and Gavin rose up to his self-imposed challenge. Lunchtime passed and she had the basics of her new wardrobe together. God, she was looking forward to giving her belly some space. Even her beige Armani felt too tight after all the lovely roomy dresses she had tried on. There she was, and she was enjoying it. Gavin was a nice change of pace compared to Andy. He didn't force her to sit down every five minutes, he didn't bring any of those typical maternity outfits and he teased her mercilessly about her disappearing waistline.

"You realise you won't make Godfather if you keep insulting the mother of your future goddaughter?"

"A daughter? Oh, that is wonderful. I don't even need to be her Godfather, I'll be her uncle with all the lovely clothes. Oh Sharon, imagine the fun we are going to have dressing a mini you! Gosh, you should get matching outfits."

Sharon's distaste for parents dressing their children as carbon copies of themselves was well known. She was of the opinion that children were children and should wear children's clothes, not some mini designer wear. What had the world come to if you spent hundreds of dollars on clothes the children would only wear for a couple of weeks or months? Gavin had pointed out that she had far more expensive dresses she'd worn less, but then stopped the argument because he wasn't going to talk his favourite shopping partner out of her habit.

"Cute little girly outfits it is," he appeased her and saw the content smile on her face. As strange as the situation was, his dear friend was obviously enjoying it. He had watched her all morning, the way she gently rubbed her stomach, how she admired herself in the mirror, that soft smile, that inner glow people so often talked about in pregnant women. She really had it. But he had also noticed that she was starting to tire out, rubbing her back, taking off her shoes for longer than necessary, sitting down in the changing rooms more.

"I hereby declare the morning a resounding success and am calling a timeout at Garibaldi's to plan our afternoon! Oh, and I really need to have a glass of champagne or two to celebrate your news!"

"Oh, yes, Garibaldi's – have you ever tried their peach sorbet? It's to die for!"

Why couldn't Andy be a little more like Gavin? There was no way he was hungry or needed a timeout. He was on a roll and she knew for a fact that he could have gone on for hours and hours. Gratefully, she hooked her arm into his offered one and let him carry her bags for her. A woman needed a friend like Gavin, who allowed her to rest her head against his shoulder and propped her up gently without making a show of it. A friend who noticed how heavily she was leaning into him and made sure he had her comfortably settled at their favourite table in no time at all, shooing around the waiters because he really needed a glass of champagne to relax from all the shopping.

They ate in quiet companionship, Gavin doing most of the talking while Sharon enjoyed the freedom of her new maternity dress and the tiny little kicks of her baby. Now she almost felt ready to face the team, and Taylor. With Andy by her side she was sure they would be fine.

As was their habit, their day ended at Gavin's apartment with take-out – and another change of clothes for Sharon. At the last store, Gavin had insisted she buy one more dress, a dress she found far too sexy and revealing for a woman her age and in her condition, but Gavin had stubbornly insisted on having his way for the first time all day claiming she needed something for her boyfriend, and not just the father of her child. When Andy picked her up a few hours later, she could see the flash of desire in his eyes before he pulled her in for a passionate kiss. He didn't even remember to ask whether she was well rested and had taken enough breaks. The last thing Sharon saw before Andy pulled her out of the apartment in a hurry was Gavin – winking.


	9. Chapter 9

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **9**

"You're late, Mister." The unexpected sound of his mother's voice along with the equally unexpected sight of her sitting on his bed made Rusty jump. For a moment he just stood in the doorway, staring at her. She was leaning against the headboard, ankles crossed prettily and hands resting comfortably on her swollen stomach. Like this, it looked too prominent to be hidden under all the flowing dresses, loose blouses and smartly-cut blazers she had bought with Gavin, but he knew that come tomorrow morning, it would be well-camouflaged again and nobody would be any the wiser. One the one hand, it was hard to believe; on the other hand Sharon was simply in the wrong age group to be suspected of being knocked-up. And maybe, just maybe, nobody could really imagine Darth Raydor pregnant. Right now, she looked just that and - or so he had to admit with surprise - quite cute in her leggings and cashmere sweater. However comfortable she looked, her expression was grim.

"Where have you been?" Her voice sounded considerably higher and more airy than usual, so he could tell that he had upset her.

"Sorry, Sharon. We all went to grab a burger after practice and the place had bad reception, so I guess my text didn't get through." The stern look on her face softened a little when she heard that he had actually tried to let her know that he would be late.

"You know I worry," she told him, one corner of her mouth curling into a sheepish half-smile already. Then she reached out for him and ruffled his hair, which was something she didn't do all that often. Or hadn't been doing all that often - back when she hadn't cried about kittens either.

"Is that why you're in my bed?" he grinned in an attempt to lighten the mood.

She cocked her head. " _On_ your bed. That's a big difference. It does not invade your privacy as much." He could tell from the way she tilted her chin that she was a little embarrassed, though.

"Semantics, Sharon," he said. "You and Lil' Peach have made yourself comfortable in here because Flynn isn't home and you're lonely. Admit it."

Sharon rolled her eyes in a manner that looked as if she had unwittingly borrowed it from Flynn and hit Rusty's arm lightly with the back of her hand. "Don't call her that! She's going to be a strong, successful woman someday. She doesn't need a nickname like that."

"What she needs is to be common knowledge," Rusty murmured. "Look at yourself, Sharon. You need to tell people!"

Sharon pursed her lips and snuggled back into Rusty's pillows. "That is where Andy is tonight. He is telling Provenza. Best friend and all, he needs to be told before we tell the team on Monday."

"Figures," Rusty said. "He is going to mad enough as it is."

Sharon grimaced. "I _know_. I'll never hear the end of it. Somehow he is going to give it a spin that makes it all my fault. He is going to tell everyone who'll listen that I lured his best friend into my bed and made him-"

"I think I get the point!" Rusty quickly interrupted her, slightly worried that she was about to say something that would put unwanted images into his head. He had quite enough of them in there already and he was not so sure whether he would be able to take any more of them. That baby had gotten in there in a way he had never had any attention of thinking about and yet it haunted him daily.

Sharon pursed her lips in that little pout that she always gave him when she was onto something she disapproved of, but she did not elaborate. Looking around the room, she gently rubbed her stomach with one hand.

"Hey!" Her eyes widened slightly when Rusty almost barked at her. "You're scouting my room as a nursery, aren't you? I could tell from the look in your eyes that you were thinking about where to put the crib!"

Sharon looked guilty instantly. "I wasn't, Rusty," she said. "Not really, anyway. This was a nursery when I was first looking to buy the condo. The previous owners had bought a house because they were expecting their second child. That's all, I swear!"

She sounded sincere, almost upset at his accusation, and Rusty wasn't cross with her for thinking along those lines. He had been thinking of moving to a college dorm room for a while now. Unbeknownst to her, of course. After he moved out, he figured, it would be only natural for them to remodel his room into a nursery sooner or later.

"Don't worry about it, Sharon," he told her. "I was just teasing. Actually, I have been looking at dorm rooms. They're not as expensive as I thought and it would be kind of cool to live there."

"Oh Rusty!" Before he knew it, he was enveloped in her arms, face inevitably ending up in her hair. "You don't have to go. I don't want you to go."

He was still not used to her being so emotional, he decided. "Sharon, I may actually want to go," he told her through a mouthful of hair. She drew back to look at him, her eyes expressing pride and hurt and love all at the same time. It was almost overwhelming to see how much she loved him and the little part of him that had been quietly worrying that she would lose interest in him with the arrival of her brand new baby was finally silenced.

"If you want to, we can look at those rooms together," she said with a sad smirk. "And don't worry about the costs. It'll be fine."

"Sharon, you don't have to-"

"Uh-huh!" She held up a finger, now all Darth Raydor again. Nowadays Rusty was almost relieved when she turned up after a prolonged episode of cute Mommy Raydor. "This is not up for debate, Mister." She softened a little and placed two fingers against his cheek, her head tilted and her gaze so very fond. "Just promise me that you let me help you pick a dorm and get you moved there."

Rusty gave her a tentative smile, uttering the first joke he could come up with in order to be able to laugh to chase that feeling of being choked-up out of his throat.

"I doubt that Andy will let you carry any boxes."

She smiled right back at him. "I will leave the hard work to him then, but, Rusty... one more thing."

"Yes?" He reached out and took her hand because she looked so devastated all of a sudden. She squeezed it back much more firmly than he would have expected her to. The gesture helped both of them clear their minds and Sharon looked him straight in the eye.

"Promise me that you will let me know immediately, if you feel like you're being followed or if something is off. Even if it turns out to be a false alarm, Rusty, I need to know that you'll let me know if you think that Stroh is on to you, okay?"

He nodded. "I promise, but it has to go both ways. I need to know if you feel threatened, too, okay?"

Rusty could tell from the look in her eyes that she was not happy with that idea at all, that she would always prefer to keep him in the dark in order to not upset or worry him. But then she nodded, albeit hesitantly.

"Deal."

Before their conversation could turn anymore tearful, they heard the key in the lock. Given the fact that they had just been discussing Stroh, they both tensed before they heard Andy swear as he bumped into the table in the hallway as he did almost every night. They shared a smile at their clumsy new family member.

"I hope Little Peach is going to be a little more graceful than her father," Rusty pointed out and Sharon was still chuckling when Andy came into the room. He looked a little worse for wear, hair ruffled in that way that it always was when he had been running his hand through it in that exasperated manner of his. His eyes were red-rimmed and his tie hung askew. With a sigh, he sat down next to Sharon on the bed and leaned back against the headboard as well. Had he been any other guy, Rusty would have screamed bloody murder at the sight of him making himself so comfortable in his bed, but this was Flynn. He was the closest thing he'd ever had to a dad and he found that it was okay for these two to be in his bed as long as they didn't make out.

"Honey, how was it?" Sharon asked, scooting closer to Andy who had closed his eyes and was responding only slowly to her presence, his arm finally coming around her, hand resting on her waist.

"Terrible," he informed her vaguely then opened his eyes. "Sit up."

"Excuse me?" Sharon wasn't used to commands, least of all by Andy, so she raised her brows challengingly.

"Just do it, woman," Andy groused and she was so surprised that she actually obeyed. Following suit, Andy sat next to her and splayed his fingers wide over the swell of her belly. "There you are, little guy," he said softly, giving Sharon a sheepish smile as he looked up at her again. "Provenza insisted that you couldn't possibly be pregnant. He was so convincing that I almost started believing it myself."

"Oh, honey." Sharon reached out to cup his cheek and stroked it gently with her thumb. "That little foot that just kicked my bladder tells me otherwise."

"He said that we were both crazy and that you were far too old to have babies and that we should stop talking bullshit and start preparing for grandkids. He also said to get medical help for those hallucinations."

Sharon made a strangled sound, but Rusty wasn't sure whether it was meant to express amusement or horror.

"Andy, honey, did you show him the ultrasound images?" Sharon asked softly, using that tone of voice that still baffled Rusty. It was unlike the tone she used with him and her other kids and also unlike the one she used when she talked to her unborn baby. It was certainly different from how she spoke to Jack. It was silky and soft, as if her love for that man affected her speech patterns and Rusty found it horrid and pathetic and also very beautiful all at the same time.

"Of course, I did. I am not stupid. He still didn't believe me. Said that blurry blob might as well be a fractured knee."

Sharon snorted and Rusty rolled his eyes. Even he had been able to recognize the shape of a little human in the pictures, as much as that freaked him out. He was still not entirely convinced that Sharon was not carrying a little alien.

"A fractured knee," Sharon said sarcastically. "Are you sure _he_ hasn't lost his mind?"

"God, he certainly has. Even more so after the seven beers he had tonight. Don't expect him at work before eleven. He knocked over half of his furniture when I got him home and then fell asleep in a kitchen chair twice before I managed to get him into bed."

Sharon put her head on Andy's shoulder and nuzzled his neck slightly.

Rusty put his hand over his eyes.

"Don't worry, honey. He'll come around. You know how he is. Once he comes to terms with truths he doesn't like, he is actually quite good about them."

Andy ran his thumb over a particular spot on her belly, looking pensive. "Have we met the same Provenza?"

Rusty lowered his hand and put his hands on his hips instead as he watched Sharon close her eyes. She was pretty amazing at drifting off to sleep within seconds nowadays and Andy looked pretty beat as well. As cute as they looked snuggled into each other and enjoying their tiny child's kicks, there was one big problem he had with the whole situation.

"Guys, seriously. This is my bed!"

The way they snapped out of their dreamy state told Rusty that they had indeed forgotten about that tiny little detail.

He was most definitely doomed.


	10. Chapter 10

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **10  
**

When Andy had first asked her whether she wanted to go to Lamaze classes, Sharon had only rolled her eyes. It was quite adorable that he wanted to do everything the right way, but it was still far too early to start with those classes. That was what she was telling herself anyway, but deep down Sharon knew why she was so opposed to the idea. They, or specifically she, would be _a lot_ older than all the other mothers, some of them might not even be half her age. Truth be told, she was somewhat embarrassed. Andy would probably be fine, there were always older guys with significantly younger girlfriends and wives.

'There you go, Sharon,' she thought, 'you've been a feminist all your life. You've fought for women's rights on the force. You even went back and did that Masters in Gender Studies … Gender in Law Enforcement … and now you're embarrassed to show you're expecting a baby.'

A few days later Andy had brought up the issue again, "Lamaze. You said it's still too early and you were right. I looked it up." Of course he had! Andy Flynn had become quite proficient at internet searches ever since that faithful morning in the bathroom and he felt he knew more about pregnancy and peaches than he ever thought possible. Still too early meant there would be a time when it would no longer be early … maybe she could find private lessons? Yes, that would be an idea. Just Andy and a coach, no other couples, no prying looks. It would be a worthwhile investment.

"But I thought we could still do something nice together, you know, to prepare us for our Little Peach." Her eyes at sparkling at his suggestion - she liked the idea of doing things together just the two of them.

"You know how you said you loved swimming so much?" It was true, particularly now that Doc Cottle had recommended she stop running and all other high impact sports. Sometimes Andy would wake up to an empty bed on weekends and he would find her doing laps in the private pool located on top of her apartment building. He would stand back and watch her slicing through the water in smooth even strokes, the movement of her arms and legs breaking the water into a million sparkling crystals illuminated by the rising sun. His favourite part was when she pulled herself out of the pool and stood there for a moment like some water goddess, unaware of him watching her, squeezing the water from her hair and stretching, her cute baby bump very visible.

"I do. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, there's this spa out in the valley, it's a really pretty serene place. I figured we could go there for the weekend, go to the spa, try their mango-peach cheesecake – oh, and they do all sort of massages and facials, too."

"Oh Andy, that sounds absolutely wonderful! Honey, you're spoiling me."

Secretly, Andy had been very pleased with himself. If he'd suggested to go away to have a little break and give her some time to unwind, she might have said no, but presented this way as a romantic getaway with lots of peaches and plenty of time for them to be together, Sharon didn't seem to have noticed his motives. Andy had made a mental note to thank Gavin. He had been surprised how his girlfriend could be so relaxed after a full day's shopping with him and Gavin had offered a few pointers. Not that Andy didn't still have his morning mantra of telling himself to not be overprotective, but at the spa they would be far away from LA and any work related calls, they would be able to sleep in, and take naps during the day, and just take it slow. He had read somewhere that it was good to take a pre-baby holiday and he was determined to do as many of those as possible.

It had been Andy who had pushed to finally tell the team and Sharon had grudgingly agreed. She would have preferred to hide her pregnancy for as long as she could while Andy had been burning to tell everyone about their great joy. Which was probably why his best friend's reaction to the news had hit him so badly. She had actually been woken up by Andy talking loudly in his sleep, obviously reliving the conversation. "But I'm telling you, Louie, Sharon is pregnant. I saw our baby on the ultrasound … no, old man, stop saying that … no, stop it! No, I am not hallucinating! How can you say that … that's my son, not a broken knee!" He had woken up easily and while she had soothed him back to sleep, she had hatched an evil plan to bury her second in command in paperwork until he would finally come around. She had expected some form of blowback from him, jokes at her expense but not … well, simply ignoring her pregnancy and telling them they were hallucinating. He could make fun of her all he wanted, but she wasn't going to let him hurt Andy! The only thing she was grateful for was that it didn't seem to affect just how much Andy was looking forward to their weekend together.

/

After a leisurely breakfast, they retreated to their veranda where Sharon bedded her head in Andy's lap and closed her eyes, content to be close to him while he was leafing through brochures. She was wearing a simple sundress and he marvelled how she always seemed to look so much more pregnant on the weekends than at work when she was still hiding her growing bump with jackets and scarves. He leaned down to kiss her bare shoulders and run his hand over her belly, stopping when he felt a soft fluttering.

"She's been quiet all morning and the moment you touch me, she starts moving. So tiny, but she already recognises her daddy."

"Does he?" The joy on his face was adorable. It was such a simple thing, really, to feel their baby move, but when she looked at Andy, she knew just how special this was to him. Particularly after the conversation he'd had with his best friend.

"Yes," she confirmed, placing her hand on his cheek, "she recognises your voice, Andy, your touch, and how my heart beats a little quicker when you touch me."

"Really? Even now?"

"Oh honey, every single time, particularly on my belly," she confessed, her voice hoarse with emotion. "The way you look at me makes me feel so special."

"Because you are, sweetheart," he said gruffly, "you and Little Peach both."

When Andy later told her about the water aerobics course for expecting parents, something about experiencing the lightness of water and being closer to your child through that very same experience, he looked like a little boy, so very pleased with himself that he'd found something good for them. She simply didn't have it in her heart to say no to such genuine excitement. At least her body would be hidden in the water ….

It was an upscale resort and there were only two other couples, none of them particularly young, which made Sharon feel a little more at ease. Not that she had ever been shy about her body, she thought she actually looked pretty decent for a fifty-one year old, but her body did look too old to still carry a child. Once she was in the warm water though, cradled safely in Andy's strong arms, she forgot all about her earlier worries. The course wasn't really about exercise, but more about feeling good about yourself. She sighed and gave herself completely to the feeling of weightlessly floating in the warm salty water, anchored securely in Andy's arms. His hands were caressing her belly, exerting gentle pressure when he felt their child kick, massaging the tense muscles in her back to make her hum in contentment. She could feel the tension from the previous weeks ebbing away and let her head fall back to lie on his shoulder turning her face into his neck.

"You look happy," he commented pressing a kiss to her nose. "How's the little guy?"

"Blissfully happy, just like _her_ mommy."

"Have I told you how much I love it when you call yourself _his_ mommy?" Andy traced the line of her jaw with his finger, and then he kissed her again, taking care to find her lips this time. Sharon felt ready to doze off, the warm water making her sleepy. He kept his lips on hers, treading his fingers into her hair and gently massaging her scalp. They were so lost in each other that they barely noticed the class had finished and the other couples slowly leaving the bath.

"This was a wonderful idea, Andy. I haven't felt this … calm in ages. Thank you."

She loved the way his face lit up. Sharon knew that he constantly worried about her, and her pregnancy, and Stroh and always felt she was threatened. He had needed a few quiet moments and she noticed that when she was genuinely calm, it transferred onto him as well. She turned around so she could wrap her arms around his neck. Far away from LA and their jobs, Sharon ignored propriety and she kissed Andy firmly on the mouth pressing herself against him.

"Maybe we can take this to somewhere more private," she suggested feeling a sudden surge of those famous second trimester hormones. She could feel Andy's growing excitement and had to laugh, "and maybe we should hurry before we get ourselves arrested for indecent exposure!"

Laughing they existed the pool rather hastily with Andy's front pressed against her back. "Somebody needs to make sure you don't slip!"

"You could just take my hand."

Andy pulled her closer and leaned forward to kiss the side of her face. "No, not safe enough. I don't want anyone snatching my prize from me."

"Captain Raydor, Lieutenant Flynn, what a surprise meeting you here."

"Oh my God, Taylor!" they said in unison helplessly looking at each other. Andy was the one to react more quickly, keeping his arms wrapped securely around her middle. He would have stood in front of her to shield her from Taylor's gaze, but that would have looked strange and so he tried to cover their little secret. Of course Taylor and his wife were both wearing fluffy bathrobes, while they themselves felt rather naked. Sharon squared her shoulders and straightened up, nodding.

"Chief Taylor, Kassandra, pleased to meet you." She was painfully aware of her state of undress, but Taylor's wife had no such qualms. She pulled Sharon into an impromptu hug.

"Sharon, it's been so long! When did we last meet? May that awful Police Commissioner's Ball three years ago? Russell keeps telling me how busy you are with Major Crimes." She let go of Sharon and laid a hand on Andy's arm. "And Andy! How lovely to see you. You do look well – and happy. I was so pleased when Russell mentioned you two were going out."

"Thank you, Kass. Yes, we're very happy. We must catch up some time."

"We absolutely must! And Sharon, you _do_ look radiant! Congratulations – you two must be so happy!" They both thought that this was it and that they could be on their way, but then Kassandra elbowed her husband in the side, "You could have told me our friends were expecting a baby!"

Despite making a rather ridiculous figure in his bright green bathrobe, Taylor found his most condescending of voices, "Kass, please! The Captain is our age. I'm sure she does not appreciate you making these kinds of jokes."

No, no, no, no, no! This was not how Sharon had imagined that particular conversation to go. She had expected it to be awkward, but she had pictured herself in Armani, not in a bikini! With Andy by her side and not trying his very best to cover her swollen belly with his hands making it only more obvious. Maybe she could just say goodbye and they could be on their way … and leave the conversation for Monday.

"Oh my God, Russell, you didn't know!" That much was obvious by the way he stared at his Captain and her Lieutenant with his mouth wide open. "Gosh, I am so, so sorry! Oh, how utterly awkward. Sharon, I am so sorry I spilled your little secret! Well, I guess we better be on our way! And congratulations again from both of us! What wonderful news!" and with that Kassandra pulled her husband away.

Sharon and Andy both stood motionless, their daughter choosing this moment to give a small kick right underneath her father's left hand.

"Andy, please tell me that did not just happen."

"You mean running into Chief Taylor and his wife in matching bathrobes and fluffy slippers?"

"Oh Andy!" she turn in his arms and slapped him against the chest, laughter bubbling up too powerful to stop it. "Matching bathrobes, she snorted, "Good grief, please promise me right here that no matter how old we'll get, we'll never get matching bathrobes, or slippers or anything, really."

"Aw, come on, sweetheart, you'd look stunning in anything. How about I get you a bathrobe with lots of little peaches?"

"Gosh, Andy, that was awkward. That was probably the most awkward moment of my entire career."

"At least we didn't wear matching fluffy duck slippers."

/

Andy pressed a peach into her hand and a kiss to her mouth. "You head up and rest, sweetheart, I'll be back with the rest of our things after my meeting."

"I'm not even tired," she protested barely managing to suppress a yawn, "I'm just going to take a quick nap and then get dinner started."

Sharon could feel Andy's eyes on her until the doors of the elevator closed. She was almost surprised he let her head up to the condo by herself, but he seemed much calmer after their weekend. Outside her door she found a little parcel and couldn't help but smile. The way it was wrapped was a dead giveaway. She remembered Christmas with the Johnson's all those years ago and Andy as the incompetent Christmas elf. That was why he had let her walk up by herself! Gosh, she loved him. Her heart beat a little quicker knowing he had made the effort to wrap his present himself.

Excitedly she ripped off the paper and found a photo of the two of them. She had no recollection that someone had taken that picture, but she remembered the moment only to well. They looked incredibly happy. Andy stood behind her with his hnds resting on her round stomach, their faces turned towards each other. He'd asked her that morning not to straighten her hair, so it was wild and curly the way he loved it. They were both smiling brightly, and she held a half-eaten peach in her hand. She had no idea how Andy had managed to take that picture, but she fell in love with it straight away.

She lifted the peach to her nose and smelled it, closing her eyes as she remembered that wonderful morning and relaxed happy afternoon with lots of cuddling and kissing. They were rarely that openly amorous in public, but the farmers' market had been a little out of town and … to be honest, she hadn't been able to bring herself to care. Their relationship was official and soon enough, even those who didn't know yet or had assumptions regarding the platonic nature of their relationship ould see them for what they were. A couple expecting their first baby. Why hold back?

They had bought plenty of the white peaches the market was famous for, and much more fresh produce. And then the next day Andy had made his famous veggie lasagne. Her mouth watered when she remembered that. After they had finished all their shopping, they stored their purchases in the trunk of her car that Andy had been driving, because he insisted that she would be safer if he drove and she had felt in the mood to indulge him. Of course, he had insisted on her car, because it was newer, and safer. He had actually looked into all the official crash tests and while he had been at that, he had also looked into buying the perfect car seat for their baby. Gosh, she loved that he could get into these things and she much preferred that to him watching her every move, and every step, looking at every item she lifted trying to determine whether it wasn't too heavy for her. It was no use telling him that she had carried around a three year old Emily when she had been expecting Ricky, no use telling him that she was pregnant, but not fragile.

They had walked over the market arm in arm, sometimes stopping to hold each other or kiss. She remembered how elated she had been, how good Andy's presence had felt and how much she had enjoyed her widely flowing maternity dress. Here, she didn't have to hide her growing bump. She could touch it when she felt her baby's movements – and Andy could rest his hand on her stomach and stare at her with his own brand of fascination. It had warm, with just a little bit of wind and the smell of the fresh fruit and herbs quite intoxicating. She could have stayed there all day, if only her feet hadn't started getting tired. Andy had been relaxed and not overly protective enjoying their little outing as much as she was. He must have noticed her getting tired, but he never said anything. Instead, he had leaned in to whisper he had a surprise for her and taken her by the hand, leading her through the market until they had finally come to a café that sold homemade pastries and cakes. Only when they were sitting on a bench, Andy's arm securely around her waist, had she noticed the logo and the name of the café - 'The Happy Peach'

"Andy! Did you see this?" she had squealed excitedly.

"You like it?"

"Oh Andy, this is perfect! We should use that little logo for our daughter's birth announcement!"

"Because you, too, have started calling our son Little Peach – just admit it!" And her blushing cheeks and nod had made his eyes shine with happiness.

She tenderly ran her finger over Andy's laughing face on the photo as she walked into their bedroom. Just a little nap and then she'd get dinner started. Content to be home she stretched out on their bed and lifted the peach to her nose again inhaling the sweet scent.

When Andy came home a couple of hours later he was greeted by the familiar sight of his girlfriend curled up in bed. Something was different though: not only was she not hiding under any covers, but there was a half-eaten peach still in her hand! God, he loved her, cravings and all. He bent down and placed a tender kiss to her lips still tasting of the familiar aroma. The kiss didn't get him any reaction; she only woke up when he tried to gently take the fruit out of her hand.

"The picture is great," she whispered sleepily indicating her bedside table.

"Who did you hire to take that, sweetheart? You look so incredibly beautiful!"

"Uh?" Sharon was still half-asleep, "I was thanking you for my present, honey."

"Sharon, this didn't come from me."

Suddenly Sharon was wide awake. "It was sitting outside the door when I got home and it looked like you had wrapped it. Are you saying that you didn't give this to me?"

"Did it come with a message?"

"No, just the wrapping paper. I thought …"

"I knew I should have walked you up! God dammit!" Andy grabbed some tissues from the box to not leave any more fingerprints and picked up the picture. He carefully pried open the back of the frame until a note fell out. His stomach clenched as he read it and wordlessly turned it around for Sharon to see.

"Clever, Captain, very clever. A child to replace the one I will take. – PS"


	11. Chapter 11

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **11**

Doc Cottle could be extremely tight-lipped if he wanted to be. Like when no amount of prodding, threatening or pouting could convince him to tell Sharon and Andy whether they were expecting a boy or a girl, because the prospect of watching one of them being completely wrong for the next few months amused him endlessly.

Unfortunately, when Andy would have really, really liked him to keep quiet, he was everything but.

"Nah, that was just a little too much excitement for the pregnant lady," he said in a booming voice, making sure that absolutely everyone inside the condo had heard. Looking quite pleased with himself, he closed the bedroom door behind him with a firm thud and dropped his worn old leather case next to the front door. Andy couldn't decide whether the grumpy doctor realized that he had just announced his patient's pregnancy to her whole division and three patrol officers or not, but he was sure that he did not care much either way. One thing that he knew for certain, however, was that Sharon would not approve of cigarettes being smoked inside the condo, so he shot Cottle a glare when he reached into his pocket for his lighter.

The old man ignored him and lit up, taking a deep, satisfied drag.

"What pregnant woman? I thought the Captain was in there!" Buzz said quizzically, camera almost slipping off his shoulder with puzzlement. Despite the reason for their being inside their captain's home, Sykes was all but bouncing up and down with excitement next to him, but at least she had the sense to keep quiet when faced with Andy's glare.

Provenza threw his hands up in the air, rolling his eyes. "Don't tell me he is in on that stupid practical joke, too!" He hit Buzz in the chest with the back of his hand. "The Captain is not pregnant. She and Flynn are just delusional!"

He wasn't even consistent, Andy thought. Apparently the old man couldn't decide whether he should accuse them of being insane or of playing a prank on him, so he did both. Andy opened his mouth to hurl a string of expletives at his partner. His pregnant girlfriend was being threatened by a serial killer and Provenza still couldn't give up his stupid charade. Before he could say anything, Cottle exhaled a mouthful of smoke and shrugged.

"I understand your initial disbelief, Lieutenant, but I can assure you that she is still a lot more fertile than a woman at her age has any right to be. I've seen thirty year olds having more trouble getting knocked-up than she does. There is definitely a little boy-" He paused and met Andy's widening eyes. "- or girl growing in there."

Andy's shoulders sagged and Cottle pretended not to see it as he looked around the room at the group of stunned faces.

"Oh, come on, people. Don't tell me you didn't notice." Cottle waved everyone's disbelief away as if it was nothing. "Flynn, get in there, she's asking for you."

Andy decided to deal with his team and their reactions to the news later. For now, all he wanted to do was see Sharon and make sure she was really okay. As he walked into the bedroom, he spotted her on her back, one hand covering her eyes while the other was resting protectively over their child. She moved when she heard the door close behind him and gave him a tired smile that he knew was meant to reassure him and wasn't necessarily genuine. His throat constricted when he thought back to what had happened half an hour ago, how she had called Rusty three times without getting an answer, how her eyes had been filled with wild fear and how she had suddenly crumbled, face ashen and legs shaking so badly that she was unable to stand any longer. He had gathered her in his arms, had spoken soothing words of encouragement and had maneuvered her into their bed where she had lain, a single sob escaping her before her phone had begun to ring.

It had been Rusty, calling her back, and he was now on his way home, no doubt bitching about the involuntary reunion with his police escort all the way.

"Hey," Andy said softly as he sat down next to Sharon on the bed, the offensive picture removed as well as what remained of the peach. "How are you feeling?"

"Rotten," she replied in that tired voice that he so dreaded. "But Doc says that the little one is fine. It was just my blood pressure spiking for the moment."

Andy placed his hand over hers on her belly and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "That was scary."

She smiled tiredly. "With how well this is going, we just tend to forget that I am actually really old," she reminded him. "You might have to get used to this as this pregnancy progresses."

Andy's stomach churned at the prospect of having to see her like that again. She had been so pale and had seemed so fragile all of a sudden. He settled down next to her and pulled her against his chest, resting his chin on top of her head. Sharon's warm body in his arms caused him to relax a little while the baby stirred under their joined hands.

"Don't get too comfortable, honey," Sharon said in her usual commanding voice that still made him stiffen a little every time he heard it - especially when it carried a hint of urgency as it did now. "The condo is swarming with members of our division. I'm pretty sure we left the ultrasound images on my desk in the living room and you have to go into the kitchen and hide my prenatal vitamins before anyone decides to make coffee. Oh, and that little hat with the ducks you insisted on buying even though it is much too early for that has to-"

"Sharon," he interrupted her gently. "They know."

"What?" Her voice was feeble, her face a picture of disbelief. "You didn't tell them, did you?"

"No. Doc Cottle did."

She let herself fall back against him.

"Oh, I hate him!" she said, hitting the covers with her fist. "Damn him. I wanted to break it to them _gently_."

Despite everything, Andy couldn't contain a chuckle. "I would have loved to see how that would have turned out. Look on the bright side, sweetheart. They know, they'll be dealing with it right now and we're in her safe and sound."

She turned her head and looked up at him with hooded eyes. "Is Rusty here yet?"

"Patrol has him. They're bringing him home as we speak," Andy told her softly. "He is safe, Sharon. Stroh is just messing with you."

"For now," she said tonelessly. "How cruel can he be, Andy?" For the first time in this whole ordeal, her eyes were beginning to fill up with tears. Maybe it was because the immediate danger to her family was banned for the moment and the adrenaline was beginning to wear off, allowing her to consider what lay beneath. "A new child to replace the one he will take." Her voice broke. "Andy, I'm so scared."

It wasn't really like her to admit to being afraid so openly, but he understood why she was doing it and it had nothing to do with the pregnancy hormones. He felt bad for her, but the worst thing was that there was nothing he could tell her to take the fear away from her.

"I understand," he said, his lips against the soft skin of her forehead. "No matter what happens, we will get through it."

For a moment they just held on to each other. Then she withdrew and looked up at him.

"I would like to talk to the team now."

Andy rolled his eyes. "Should you be on your feet so soon after what happened?"

"It's fine, Andy. You know I wouldn't do anything that could endanger our baby. In fact, Doc recommended that I walk around a little as soon as I feel up to it, in order to get rid of the dizziness."

Aware that he had no way of winning this argument, Andy helped her out of bed. Sharon looked down herself and grimaced at her attire which consisted of grey yoga pants and a tight white sweater. He could tell how apprehensive she was and gently took her hand.

"Why do you always insist on hiding your bump, Sharon?" he finally asked her the question that had been going through his mind a million times since he had realized what she was doing. Sharon looked away self-consciously and only responded when he gently made her look at him.

"I'm so old, Andy," she told him. "I am just dreading people talking about me like I'm some sort of freak show or, worse, accusing me of being selfish."

"Hey." He cupped her cheek and stroked it gently with his thumb, slowly becoming aware of how much this was really bothering her. "I'm even older than you are. We are in this together."

She smiled sadly. "It is not that uncommon for a guy your age to become a father. A woman my age, however-" She took a deep breath. "People just think that's weird."

He grinned at her. "It is, a little. But who cares what other people think, Sharon? If you had known that you'd get pregnant when we were in there-" He pointed towards the bed. "Would you have decided against it?"

She looked over at the bed and a smirk formed on her lips. She leaned in, sneaking her arm around his waist. "Oh, we weren't in there when I conceived, Andy."

"Uh," he said. "That time in the bathroom?"

She was chuckling now, her chest vibrating with laughter. "Oh, God, yes. That one time during that fortnight when we had absolutely no time together because of those back to back cases and the only time we were able to _get together_ -"

"-was in the bathroom," he finished for her. "Oh my, do I remember that."

For a moment, they just grinned at each other like the idiots both Provenza and Doc Cottle kept accusing them of being. With them being of such similiar temperament, one would have thought they would get along splendidly instead of bickering like an old couple.

"Pretty good for an ancient woman," he teased, making her smile again before she pressed her lips to his.

"Just so you know," she whispered. "If I could turn back time, I wouldn't change a thing."

He squeezed her hand in his. "I am sure Little Peach is happy to hear that."

"-except for that nickname!" Sharon shook her head and opened the door, some of her old bravado having returned.

Outside in the hallway, the members of their team were standing in a semi-circle, almost as stunned as Andy had left them a few minutes ago.

"Ahem," said Julio, but then trailed off.

"Oh, Captain, I knew that you must have the cutest little bump under all those loose clothes!" Sykes squealed, causing Provenza to make a retching noise that was very badly disguised as a cough.

"I am _not_ _believing_ this," he informed no one in particular and everyone at once.

Sharon who had been looking a little uneasy with everyone's stares being fixed on her middle, rolled her eyes and reached out for Provenza's hand. Before he had a chance to realize what was happening to him, she had taken it and pressed it against her belly. Provenza's eyes widened in shock, disbelief and - quite clearly - disgust.

"That's a baby's movements you're feeling right there, Lieutenant," she informed him, holding his hand in a death grip against her swollen stomach. For a moment, the old man's face softened, then he wrestled his hand from Sharon's grip and stood back.

"You're wrong," he said simply and walked off.

Before anyone could say anything else on the matter, Sykes clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, Captain! Can I feel the baby kick, too?"

They were interrupted by the appearance of Rusty with two well-muscled, rather good-looking officers in tow who were easily putting the village people to shame (if one knew who they were). Rusty was scratching the back of his head in an attempt to look at ease while he was talking to the taller, better-looking of them.

"Yeah, well, you know..." he was saying as they were walking into the condo but stopped short when he became aware of the fact that the place was crawling with police officers. His clumsy attempt at flirting immediately forgotten, he stumbled towards Sharon and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Are you alright, Mom? Is the ba- I mean, is _everyone else_ alright, too?"

"It's okay, Rusty, we know about the baby," Tao informed him.

"The baby's fine, honey," Sharon told him then shot a sideward glance at Provenza who was sulking in the corner, hands buried deeply in his pockets. "Even though _some_ people are still in denial about its existence."

Rusty turned around to look at Provenza, one arm still draped protectively around Sharon's waist. Andy was almost sure that he hadn't realized that he had called her "Mom". He was very sure from the besotted smile on Sharon's face, however, that she had definitely caught it.

"Are you serious, Lieutenant? She is a walking advertisement for weird pregnancy behaviors."

"True," Andy said, burying his hands in his trouser pockets as Sharon shot him a glare.

"That's true indeed," Tao sighed wistfully. "I should have known. I almost became a doctor once, after all."

"I almost became a lawyer and I don't even fully understand my phone bill," Sharon threw in in a lame attempt at a joke.

"I knew!" Sykes announced proudly, but found herself ignored.

"Now, Sharon. What happened? Why is everyone here and why did I have to be escorted off the premises at college by police _again_? People are starting to think that I am with the mob or something." Andy noticed that he was back to using Sharon's first name now that he wasn't out of his mind with worry for her anymore.

"Rusty," Sharon said softly. "It's Stroh-"


	12. Chapter 12

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **12**

Andy felt like he had only just climbed into bed when Sharon stirred and then sat up with a start calling out Rusty's name, looking around visibly disoriented, one hand pressed to her stomach. Instinctively he reached out and took her back into his arms, "Sweetheart, Rusty's asleep in his bed just across the hall. He's safe, he's here with us and _he is safe_."

"I need to see him!" She jumped out of bed more quickly than he could react, but only got as far as their doorway before she started swaying, gripping onto the frame to keep her balance. She hummed gratefully when she felt herself being pulled against a solid chest, one hand cupping the back of her head, the other strong and dependable around her waist. "Not so fast, mummy, your blood pressure is still on the high side," he murmured, trying to calm her down, her rapid breaths warm against his neck.

"But I need to see Rusty. I need to see if he's alright!" She tried pushing him away with both her hands, but he only strengthened his hold on her, worried she might have another episode. He didn't think he could deal with another one so soon.

"Sweetheart, Rusty's in his room."

"But what if he isn't, Andy? I need to see him!"

"Sykes and Julio are camped out in the corridor and two of Cooper's guys are downstairs, the whole building is being monitored and Tao has equipped all windows and balcony doors with alarms." That was the truth, and it had all been set up in the last couple of hours. He had felt so helpless: Stroh, or whoever was doing his dirty work, had been inside their building, had come as far as their front door! Hell, that creep could have waited there for Sharon and he wouldn't have been able to protect her, because he had left her alone! Andy had pushed hard for every bit of extra security he could get for his family. While Provenza still maintained that they were delusional mumbling something about a phantom pregnancy he had at least quickly agreed to the extra measures. They were only temporary until the higher levels approved them, but for this night, they were as safe as the LAPD could keep them.

"When did that happen?" she asked, the police officer in her briefly winning over the mother. She recalled talking to Rusty and giving her statement before she had fallen asleep rather quickly in Andy's arms, but nothing else.

"While you were sleeping … you've been out for a good four hours. How are you feeling, sweetheart?" He cupped her face and ran his thumb over her cheek in a motion he hoped was soothing while rubbing circles over her back with the other hand.

"Not much better," she sighed leaning into his touch, "Honey, I know you want me to go back to bed, but I need to see my son. I know it's irrational, but I need to see with my own eyes that he's okay."

Andy pulled her a little closer so he could feel the solid curve of her stomach against his own, "We'll go check on him in a minute. Just tell me how the little guy is doing."

The little guy. _Their_ little guy. Sharon craned her neck to look at Andy and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "Our Little Peach is fast asleep, honey. She knows her daddy's looking out for her."

"Little Peach?"

Sharon nodded and snuggled closer to him. Her head hurt and her legs still felt a bit wobbly, but for the most part she was fine. She felt for Andy and she remembered the terrified expression on his face when she had all but collapsed in his arms. "Our Little Peach is fine, honey," she said soothingly, "and I'll be okay once I've seen Rusty."

"Good," Andy pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Tell me when you're ready to walk and we'll go together."

Her response was immediate and he wouldn't have expected anything else. Keeping his arm around her waist, ready to catch her should she so much as sway they crossed the short distance to Rusty's door. Sharon gently tried to turn the door knob, but it didn't move. Without warning the cold dread from earlier once again swept over her. "Rusty!" she shouted in panic, banging on the door, "Open the door! Rusty, open the door right now!"

"Mom? Is everything okay?" Rusty took one look at Sharon and pulled her into a hug. "What happened, Mom? Is the baby okay? Are you okay? Mom?" When Sharon wordlessly held onto him for dear life he looked into Andy's eyes, raising his eyebrows in question.

"We're all fine, Rusty, your mom woke up and needed to see for herself that you're okay."

Rusty nodded and squeezed her a little more tightly. "I'm fine, Mom," he whispered into her hair, "Sharon, I promise you, I'm okay."

"Don't you ever lock that door again!" Her voice was muffled against his shoulder and he tried to wriggle out of her grasp, "No, Rusty, promise me …"

"It's okay, Mom, I won't lock my door again, okay? Now … can you maybe let me go? I'm running out of air." What was up with her? This wasn't the sentimental Mama mode that made her tear up and hug random people, this was like a combination of Mama and Darth Raydor. Darth Mom. Scary Darth Mom.

She released her hold on him, "Stop complaining when your old mother wants to give you a hug. You're still talking, it can't be that bad."

Although Andy and Rusty both laughed at her joke, they both felt helpless in their own way. Rusty tried rolling his eyes, but Andy wasn't in a mood to indulge him. He stood there, hands balled into first, rocking on his toes, worried and ready to pounce should someone dare to come near or upset Sharon - and Rusty was getting pretty damn near to doing the latter.

"I promise you, Sharon, I'm not leaving the condo, I'm staying right here."

Sharon sighed and sat down on his bed pulling him with her "Good. Good … now go to bed, honey. I'm just going to sit here for a while."

"On my bed?" He didn't want to send her out, but he did feel a bit odd to have her watch over him while sleeping. Sharon nodded pulling at the hem of Andy's shirt she was wearing, squeezing the material between her fingers. "Okay, you can sit on my bed if you like," Rusty conceded. She looked small and exhausted and a little helpless and that scared him even more than her Darth Mama look earlier on. Sharon was never helpless. They had gotten many messages from Stroh over the years, first Weller's letters and now the photo guy, and she had always been cool and calm. Now she looked weak and scared, cradling her belly in her hands, alternately looking at Andy and him. And the Lieutenant also looked scared and tired, the frown on his forehead more pronounced.

"Don't you want to sleep, Sharon?"

"It's fine, I'll just sit here for a while. I … I need to see you tonight."

"The Little Peach should sleep in a bed, and so should you."

"The kid's right, sweetheart. He's fine, and he won't lock the door again." A quick glare telling Rusty what would happen if he so much as dared to think about it assured his compliance. "You should rest. Come back to bed."

"I can rest here. Andy, honey, bring me my blanket and I'm going to sleep in the chair over there," she said indicating the upholstered chair in the corner, "I'll be fine."

Rusty and Andy both protested, but Sharon squared her shoulders. The boy and the man looked at each other, then Andy spoke up. "You're coming to bed with us," he declared.

"Are you crazy? I'm not going to share a bed with you!"

"You don't have a choice in the matter, Rusty. Your mom needs to sleep, and she'll only do that if you're nearby. Now, get up and come with us." The tone of his voice made it clear that this was an order he expected to be followed.

"But I'm not going to sleep between the two you."

"Fine, now shoo, you can take the left side of the bed."

A tired but happy mother, a reluctant teenager who couldn't quite believe what was happening to him and a fiercely determined father made the short trip back to the bedroom and climbed into bed together. Rusty carefully eyed the two people he considered his parents as Sharon settled down on her side facing him, her back against Andy's chest.

"But you're not gonna, like, you know … while I'm in here?"

"Rusty, contrary to what you might think, _we_ are not the horny teenagers around here! What do you think we're going to do? I'm just going to hold your Mom, okay? It's all very clean."

"Sure, that's why I'm going to be a big brother soon."

"It's three am, we're all exhausted and you're in bed with us. We are going to sleep – all of us!"

Andy could have sworn the boy rolled his eyes, but then he settled down and took one of Sharon's hands in his and within minutes, she was sound asleep. Andy breathed a sigh of relief and buried his head in her hair, taking a moment to calm himself down. It wouldn't help anyone if he was next one with a blood pressure crisis.

"Thank you for doing this, Rusty," he said when he felt a little more like his world wasn't collapsing around him. "The past few hours were difficult and having you and the little one both here means the world to Sharon." And me, he added in his thoughts.

"Is Little Peach going to be okay?"

"Yes, the little guy is fine … and Sharon will be, too, once she'd had a chance to rest. Good night, kid."

"Night." Rusty whispered although he had no idea how he should sleep in a bed with Andy and with Sharon who was still holding onto his hand. Sighing, he decided to watch the shadows on the ceiling and when her grip on his hand loosened a little, he found himself holding onto it so it wouldn't slip from his grasp. What a strange life he led – and yet it somehow felt good, like the sort of thing families might do.

"Just so you're warned – Sharon is a bit of snuggler in bed."

Well, weird families like him and Sharon and the Little Peach and Andy.


	13. Chapter 13

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **13**

It was a mother's worst nightmare to be startled awake by her child's desperate screams of horror. Instantly awakened from what had been a surprisingly sound sleep, Sharon tried to sit up in bed, but failed miserably. Holding her down were her back protesting the sudden movement, her baby kicking her furiously at the interruption of its own slumber and, most of all, Andy's arm that was draped over her in sleep. She looked around for what she was sure had to be a terrible threat, instinctively wondering how to reach her gun that she kept in the drawer of her bedside table nowadays. Only when she found the room empty, the flakes of dust peacefully glittering in the early morning sun that was streaming in through the half-drawn blinds, she thought to look at the bed next to her and, at once, she knew exactly what Rusty was screaming his head off about.

Blinking sleepily at the sound, Andy was slowly coming awake behind her, nose buried in the pillow, his arm protectively tightening around her body. It would have been a perfectly normal way for him to sleep, if only his fingers weren't firmly intertwined with Rusty's. Her son was trying to get his hand out of Andy's iron grip, all the while shrieking like a mad man.

"Rusty," Sharon said said calmly. "I am sure this was an accident."

"Having to sleep in your bed with you was, like, the worst idea, like, ever!" Rusty told her, his voice still high in volume, his arms flailing helplessly. "I can't believe I ended up holding hands with my mother's boyfriend!"

He tried to free his hand from Andy's grasp, urgently, yet ever careful not to accidentally punch Sharon in the stomach as she was laying between them.

"What is this commotion about early in the morning?" Andy grumbled from behind Sharon. "Go back to sleep, kid."

"I would even go back to my own room if you could just let go of my hand! In fact, right now I am very much considering going to India!" Rusty was almost shouting in frustration.

Andy sat up with a start, quickly withdrawing his hand. "Damn," he said, running it through his hair. "Gee, kid, I'm sorry. I guess I thought yours was Sharon's hand."

Rusty turned to Sharon. "Sharon, look, I appreciate your concern for me. I know how much you love me and that is great. I love you, too. But, seriously...! I am eighteen years old. I don't care how hormonal you are or that you have some weird nesting instincts that make you want to have me close, from now on I will sleep in my own bed and you will deal with it!"

He was panting a little now, having stood up to her like this and Sharon was filled with a sudden sense of pride that was a little unexpected given the fact that her son was pretty much putting her in her place.

"Can I put a baby monitor up in your room?" she asked him in a small voice, then held up a hand when he drew in a sharp breath before he could have another go at her. "It's okay, Rusty. I was only kidding. You're perfectly right. I was a little out of control last night." She nudged his cheek affectionately. "Go back to your room, okay?"

"I don't care how right you are, Rusty," came Flynn's voice from the other side of her, sounding stern. "You are not allowed to yell at your pregnant mother like that. She's very fragile."

Sharon discreetly elbowed Andy in the chest, knocking the air out of him. She didn't need him to fight her battles. Least of all the ones she was losing for a reason. Rusty rolled his eyes and shuffled out, closing the door behind him with a firm thud.

Before Sharon could say anything, Andy began to chuckle, the sound soon turning into a deep, rumbling laugh.

"Oh my God, how embarrassing. I was holding hands with your barely-of-age, gay son!"

Sharon turned around and snuggled into his chest, joining Andy in his fit of laughter, resting comfortably against his vibrating chest.

"Do I need to be jealous?" she asked him between snorts of laughter.

"Not at all, sweetheart." Andy was grinning mischievously. "Even though he is a lot younger and arguably slimmer."

Sharon snuggled against his chest, breathing in his scent. "And just for the record, I don't have _weird nesting instincts_!" she pouted, drawing yet another chuckle from Andy who then pointedly looked at the pile of new pillows and blankets she had bought for the bed.

"You have a problem, Sweetheart," he teased her, gently pulling her back against him as she scooted away, offended.

/

Ever since its existence had been revealed to the people in its parents' lives, the baby seemed intent to make its presence known to the outside world. The kicks became stronger and within the scope of two weeks, there was no way of hiding Sharon's bump anymore. Gone were the times when she had been able to hide it with loose dresses and blouses and somehow that gave her a curious kind of relief. And that despite the fact that the whole department was on fire with gossip about their family. Having spent most of her career in FID, Sharon was no stranger to mean things being said about her behind her back and so it was Andy who was most affected by it. Once he almost got into a physical fight about it and Sharon needed to put up her Darth Raydor persona to pull him out of it. The cocky young Detective who had started it had left with his proverbial tail between his legs, frightened off by the combined scariness of the new parents to be.

That week, Saturday night found Sharon and Andy on Provenza's doorstep each with a bottle of wine in hand. It seemed ridiculous that they were the ones supplying alcohol of all people when they were the only ones who wouldn't have any, but that was how it had come about. Andy looked down at Sharon who was wearing a flowing light-green top and her favorite cashmere cardigan along with a pair of jeans that made him want to check her out every few minutes just because he was allowed to.

"You okay, Sweetheart?" he asked, hand already poised to ring the doorbell.

"Oh, yes." She smiled at him, looking down at where her hand was rubbing her belly. "I am just being a punching bag right now."

Andy indulged her with a smile even though he knew what was really bothering her. The party Patrice had organized at Provenza's - and now her - home was meant to celebrate the new living arrangements as much as to take the teams' minds off Stroh and the looming danger he posed. Security measures had been keyed down after that first night. While there were still people around watching, there was no danger immediate enough to justify the excessive costs of providing Sharon's condo with around-the-clock surveillance. Sharon was anxious, he could tell, even though she was trying to hide it, masking it with a wry sense of humor. He was hoping that the party would distract her from all that. He knew how much she loved parties, after all.

He leaned over and kissed the top of Sharon's head. She had given up her high heels for the most part, thereby creating a new difference of height between them that he was not yet used to. He had told her the previous week that she was really quite a bit shorter than she had always seemed and she had laughed because it was really such a weird thing to say.

Sharon smiled up at him, sensing his concern. "Honey, I'm okay. A bit worried and flustered, but I am fine."

Andy rubbed his thumb over her palm. "Just tell me when you need your bed."

She smiled, a little amused herself by her sudden bouts of complete exhaustion that made her cranky and had seen her chase Andy home with vigor from one moment to the next a few times lately.

Upon his knock, Patrice opened the door, her form illuminated by the warm lights of the house from behind. The place looked open and inviting and not for the first time, Andy found himself thinking about whether he should suggest looking for a house for their family to live in. Right now, however, the condo seemed to provide less of a security risk than a house that was easily accessible from the ground floor.

Patrice's eyes widened and she clasped her hands in front of her when she saw Sharon. "Oh my God, Sharon! How very wonderful!"

Confused by the outburst, Sharon eyed the bottle of white Bordeaux in her hand. It was a fine wine, but it did not warrant such an enthusiastic response. Much less by a woman who was very outspoken about preferring gin and bitter lemon over wine any day. Andy chuckled, half-amused, half-annoyed by the fact that, apparently, Provenza had neglected to tell his live-in girlfriend about his best friend's child. He discreetly took the bottle from Sharon so Patrice could pull her into the hall by the hand to look at her in the light.

"Sharon, a baby! And at this point! How very, very exciting!" she enthused.

"Lieutenant Provenza didn't tell you?" Sharon was blinking owlishly, completely taken aback by the other woman's reaction. Andy had to admit that he was surprised, too. He had taken Provenza's complete refusal to accept the fact that Sharon and Andy were going to be parents together as a reaction directed at them to show them how ridiculous they were, not as genuine denial. In their absence, he had believed so far, he would have surely discussed the matter with Patrice. Apparently, he had been wrong.

Uneasy with all the attention on her expanded middle, Sharon placed her hand over her baby.

"If I had known that you were unaware, I would have told you in advance," she said to Patrice, an apologetic smile on her lips. Andy felt himself growing angry with Provenza. He had been trying to indulge him, as their situation was far from normal and not quite easy to accept, but now he had allowed Sharon to walk right into this awkward situation.

How Louie Provenza had ever managed to make such a classy woman look twice at him, Andy did not know, but Patrice saved the situation with her easy grace.

"I'll talk to him about it, but only after you have told me absolutely everything about that baby!" she said, drawing an arm around Sharon's shoulders. "Come with me, I don't know what kind of cravings you have, but I am sure our range of cakes will satisfy them."

Andy trailed behind them for a moment and watched them from the entrance to the kitchen, momentarily ignoring his squad members who were already scattered around the room, sipping drinks. Sharon was answering Patrice's questions with a happy glow on her face. Patrice's genuine excitement was so different from the looks they received at work which ranged from sensationalist and prying to disapproving and sometimes even slightly disgusted. Under all the fears and worries, Sharon was so happy, he once against realized. No matter how difficult and unusual it was, what counted for Sharon was that she was going to be a mother again and she couldn't hide the fact that she was absolutely thrilled by the prospect.

Julio appeared next to him and followed his gaze over to the kitchen where the two women were talking excitedly and oblivious to anyone around them.

"Don't worry, Sir, I picked up one of those peach cakes she loves so much on my way here. She'll be fine." His eyes glittered with mischief as he sipped his beer.

"Provenza didn't even tell Patrice about Sharon's pregnancy." Andy shook his head. "I really don't know how to convince him that it's real."

Julio snorted. "Believe me, Sir, deep down he knows."

His statement was somewhat belied by Provenza's sauntering into the kitchen, ignoring Flynn, and handing Sharon a chilled glass of wine. She rolled her eyes and Patrice chastised her partner immediately.

"Louie, really! Just look at her!"

"And what?" Provenza set the wine glass down on the counter when it became apparent that Sharon would not accept it. "People eat, people gain weight."

"Louie!" Patrice barked at him. "Get a grip on yourself, will you?"

Andy watched the bickering in the kitchen with grim amusement when his concentration was broken by Julio again.

"Are you going to propose to her anytime soon?"

He almost dropped the glass of cranberry and soda he had poured himself while watching Provenza get what was coming to him in the kitchen and taking it with his usual ill grace. Sanchez was not usually that straightforward. He looked at the detective and was met with a level stare.

"She's catholic." He shrugged. "Plus I heard her with her mother on the phone the other day."

"Yeah?" That was news to Andy. Sharon had gently insinuated that her parents were not exactly over the moon by her news, but she had said it with a snort of laughter, so he had paid no particular mind to it.

"She seemed a little defensive." Julio was grinning now. "I think she said something along the lines of 'Mom, get a grip, we are living in the 21st century and being married didn't improve things the last time around'. Boy, did she sound like Rusty there."

Having never seen Sharon with her parents, Andy couldn't imagine Sharon talking like that at all and he found that he was kind of interested in seeing how Sharon interacted with her father and mother.

"I've been meaning to ask her," he admitted. "but I don't want it to look like I'm just doing it because I knocked her up."

"Uh, Sir, really. Could you try not to put images in my head?" Julio begged in an uncharacteristic outburst of awkwardness. Andy grumbled.

"It's a figure of speech," he defended himself.

Julio rolled his eyes and walked off. Things always seemed so easy in his mind. Love the girl, marry her. He didn't think too much about all of the consequences. Were married officers even allowed to work in the same division? What would the kids have to say about it? Did Sharon even want to get married again? Andy gulped down a generous swallow of his drink to calm himself as he watched his girlfriend. She was letting Patrice feel the baby's movements, cheeks flushed with something that he immediately recognized as her special blend of embarrassment and joy. He knew her so well and he really did want to marry her. He just wondered whether he would have the courage to ask her.

Especially with Provenza hovering and looking morose. Right now, the old man was staring at Andy with narrowed eyes just before he pointed at his own eyes with two fingers and then pointed them back at Andy.

Rusty came up next to him and smirked at him. They had fortunately moved on from the accidental handholding incident even though sometimes Rusty still joked that he would need additional sessions with Dr. Joe.

"Sharon looks happy," the boy said. The little pause that followed his statement warned Andy that there was something important on his mind. "Look, don't tell her yet, but I found a dorm room."

Andy's heart sank. He had expected that plan to have gone out the window the moment Stroh had reared his ugly head again. Apparently he had been wrong. Rusty didn't seem to realize his discomfort.

"I mean, she's been looking at baby things online all the time lately. She wants to set up a nursery for the baby, I can tell."

Andy didn't have the heart to tell him that while Sharon took great joy in looking at things, she refused to order even a single item before her eighth month when the chances of the baby surviving even if it was going to be born premature would be a bit better. Even though she never said it, he knew that her greatest fear was to find herself forced to decide what to do with all the things they had bought for their baby because something had gone wrong and they didn't need them anymore.

"Rusty, Stroh is on the loose and he is closing in on us. Are you sure it would be a good idea to move out just now?"

He realized that he had spoken too loudly when he heard a gasp next to him. There stood Sharon, the color rapidly draining from her face, eyes wide and alert.

"You're moving out?"


	14. Chapter 14

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **14**

Rusty wanted to move out? She could feel the panic creep up on her, that tight feeling in her chest. It wasn't as bad as when she hadn't been able to reach him a few weeks ago, but she could already feel her legs becoming unsteady. Then Andy's arms came around her, pulling her against his chest, solid and warm. She could feel herself relax a little in his presence.

"Of course not, sweetheart. Rusty was just telling me that he forgot to cancel the application for a dorm room he put in. Someone is going to be happy to get a room earlier than planned."

The baby kicked. Hard. Reflexively, she put her hand over the spot and started humming. Sharon was beginning to feel woozy, but not enough to miss the look of protest on Rusty's face – even if he quickly schooled his features when Andy gave him a warning glare. Andy's hand settled over hers. "Rusty was a little embarrassed that he forgot to cancel, but I told him it's no big deal."

These two men. They had obviously forgotten that she was a police officer herself. A pregnant one who tired easily and inexplicably, with an insatiable craving for peaches and a strange unsteady feeling in her legs right now, but she could see right through them. She tried her best to smile and give her voice a warm, patient note, "Would you two like to tell me what's really going on?"

Their baby chose that moment to give another strong kick and Sharon leaned back into Andy's embrace, failing to suppress a groan. She really did feel like a punching bag today.

"You look a little pale, my dear. Let's find you a place to sit down, shall we?" Patrice voice was quiet and gentle soothing some of Sharon's anxiety almost immediately.

"And you two are coming with us. No arguing in my kitchen."

"Patrice, I apologize. We are ruining your party. We should all go home and continue our conversation there." Sharon felt awful for upsetting what had started off as a perfectly lovely evening.

"Oh nonsense! I've got just the place where you can sit down and continue your conversation in private."

She ushered them into the bedroom and Sharon couldn't help but look around curiously. The large king-sized bed looked new and there were plenty of colourful pillows. Certainly a woman's touch, and a huge improvement compared to the stuff that had once been stored at her own apartment. Patrice indicated for Sharon to sit down on the bed, but that was too much. The Lieutenant's bed? Oh no!

"I know what you're thinking, but it's my bed, too and if it helps you any, take the left side, that's mine." When Sharon tried to protest, she looked at her with all the authority three decades in nursing had given her, "I think we both know that you need to lie down – and soon. You forget that I have a trained eye. I can see the way you're holding yourself, and that your blood pressure is already higher than it should be. Give it a few more minutes and your legs are really going to start shaking."

Sharon obliged, extracting herself from Andy's embrace and allowing Patrice to help her settle into bed. The moment she lay down Andy was by her side, his hand warm against her cheek, his eyes full of concern. Gosh, lying down did feel good.

"Get up, Andy, let's go talk some sense into that best friend of yours!"

"I'm not leaving Sharon when she's sick."

Patrice put her hands on her hips and Sharon almost had to laugh at her stance, "Your girlfriend isn't sick. Contrary to what you men think, pregnant women aren't actually all that fragile. Sharon needs to rest, which she is doing right now, and she needs to have a conversation with her son. While you and I need to talk to Louie. Rusty, you will tell your mother whatever it is you've been planning about moving out and you'll have a quiet, calm conversation about that. No upsetting her, is that clear? If she starts shaking or becomes very pale or," she paused meaningfully and fixed her eyes on Sharon, "insists that she's fine and wants to get up, you come get me. Understood?"

"Uh," Rusty muttered

"Understood?" Sharon noticed with amusement that the tone of Patrice's voice made her son stand up straighter.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good."

Lieutenant Provenza might have a track record with women, but it seemed like he had finally met his match. Patrice put a hand on Andy's back ushering him out – and the room was suddenly quiet except for the muted chatter from the living room. She looked at her son and patted the bed beside her. Patrice was right: they needed to talk.

/

All things considered, Rusty thought, the evening had still gone rather well. He'd talked to Sharon and they had agreed to draw up a list of all the pros and cons, talk to SID to determine the threat levels and then make an informed decision - together. The look of relief on her face had been almost physically painful and when she had pulled him into her arms and told him now much she loved him, he'd hugged her back fiercely, awkwardly bent over her round belly. The baby had kicked and he had instinctively moved away, but she had pulled him right back against her. "I think your little sister wants to say hello to you. Oh Rusty, I wish I could hold you like this all the time and have you as close to me as her. Just to know you're safe." He had wanted to protest, but he could hear the tears in her voice.

Now they were home and Sharon hugged him again to say goodnight, holding on to him for much longer than was necessary. He found that he didn't mind it at all. In fact, he really liked Sharon's hugs, despite the hair in his face and the kicking Peach. He remembered those first desperate and awkward hugs years ago; now he felt comfortable and safe. Safe. That's what it was always about with her. Being safe and being kind. Was he kind by insisting on moving out when she so obviously didn't want him to? Sharon didn't let go of him until Andy gently asked her to come to bed. Rusty pressed a quick kiss to his mother's cheek and disappeared into his room before the Lieutenant could change his mind and ask him to join them.

Not much later he heard a knock on his door. "You can come in, I'm decent."

"Always the comedian, uh?" Andy's stepped into the room and quietly closed the door.

"If you're here to make me sleep in your bed again – I'm not coming."

"Rusty, you know I'm sorry about that – but your mom did get a good night's sleep and that's what counts."

He huffed. Not that he doubted the importance of rest for his mom, but he had paid the price for that. "Well, I'm _still_ having nightmares."

"Tell me when Sharon stops paying for your sessions with Doctor Joe and I'll happily step up."

The Lieutenant was a bit of comedian himself. Rusty couldn't help but smirk – even if he never wanted to repeat that particular experience. He indicated the chair in the corner. "I suppose you're here to talk?"

Andy nodded solemnly and sat down with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, "I do want to talk to you. Is now a good time?"

"Well, you're already here and I'm assuming since you've come into my room in the middle of the night that you want to do this without Sharon … so yeah, go ahead. Give it to me. Tell me I'm irresponsible."

The older man sighed audibly, "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Sharon told me about your agreement and I think that sounds very sensible. I want to talk about Sharon and Little Peach."

Rusty raised his eyebrows in surprise and shuffled a little closer. Andy looked worried and he could feel cold fear settling at the bottom of his stomach. "She's … is something wrong with the baby?"

"No, thank God everything is okay with Sharon and the little one. Rusty, I was wondering how much you actually know about the risks of this particular pregnancy?"

"Doctor Cottle talked about that when he was last here."

Andy rolled his eyes at the mere mention of the man and Rusty suppressed a laugh. Lt. Tao and Badge of Justice were one thing, but Doc Cottle? Andy _really_ didn't like the guy, and it showed in the way his face turned red almost instantly. It was even more comical when Sharon was there because then Andy always tried so hard not to let it show – and failed miserably. Rusty had heard them argue a few times: Andy didn't trust Cottle and Sharon didn't trust anyone else. Like always, Sharon had won the argument.

"It's very unusual for women of Sharon's age to even get pregnant. We've done some tests and we're really, really lucky so far. Against all odds, our baby is healthy and growing well. Sharon doesn't talk with you about that, but there are still so many things that can go wrong, both for Little Peach and for her. Either one of them could become sick and … and …"

… and they could loose them both. "You don't have to say it. I understand." He looked into the older man's eyes and could see the fear and something that looked a lot like helplessness. Andy probably wanted to keep Sharon at home and keep her safe and she refused and still went to work and sometimes even to crime scenes. And then of course there was Stroh …

"It's not like when a younger woman has a baby. Being pregnant is dangerous for Sharon and any kind of stress is just going to make it worse. We've been so incredibly lucky so far, so lucky that the only complication is her blood pressure. She might not show it, but Sharon is so scared that something might happen to our baby. And you know she worries about you. Just the thought of you being out there on your own with Stroh on the loose is making her sick."

"Andy, I understand that she worries, but I can't keep living with you indefinitely!"

"Just until Stroh is caught or we have a better handle on where he is and who is doing his dirty work for him."

Rusty could see the muscles in Andy's face twitch, but he ploughed on with what he was sure was a winning argument, "Besides, where are you going to put the nursery and the crib and all the other baby things? You need my room."

"I'm not saying this is ideal. The condo is small for the three of us, and it's going to be too small for the four of us for sure. But it's easy to keep safe and it's familiar. I can't put Sharon through the stress of house-hunting and moving right now – so we'll just have to make do. You know Sharon is going to blame herself if something goes wrong, she'll probably never fully forgive herself if the baby is born too early and … dammit, I can't even think about that! Rusty, I love your mom with all my heart – and I am determined to make this pregnancy as easy as possible for her. There are many things I can't do anything about, but some I can, and I will."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No. I believe you are smart enough to make the right decision by yourself. I actually want to offer you a deal."

"Dude, you realise you're turning into her?"

"Says the young man who raises his eyebrows just like his mom? Rusty, stay with us until the baby is born. Sharon will still worry about you, but at least it's not going to be quite so dangerous for her and the little one anymore once she's given birth."

Rusty nodded. That made sense to him and it would only be another few months. "And then you'll let me move out?"

"Yes, then you can move into your dorm room. I thought you could go ahead and rent it now and I'll pay for the rent."

"So this is a secret?"

"It would better be."

"Wow, you're keeping secrets from her."

"No, _we_ are keeping secrets from her. This is not a secret that hurts Sharon. What's the harm in paying for a room?"

"It's still dishonest."

"Yes, but it's for her own good. Trust me, she'll understand once she can hold our baby in her arms."

The image of Sharon with a baby gave Rusty an unexpected warm and fuzzy feeling. He would be a big brother! "Okay, but you'll have to do that. Make her _understand_ , I mean.."

"Deal."

"And this conversation never took place?"

"Of course not. I'm glad we understand each other, Rusty."

In one quick movement, Andy pushed himself out of the chair and shook Rusty's hand. The two men fixated each other for a moment as they came to a silent agreement. They loved her, in different ways, but between them they would make the coming months as easy as possible for her.

/

Sharon felt like she had spent the past months either hiding or trying to convince people of her pregnancy, but she was really looking forward to today. They were going to have a picnic with Nicole and her family. On account of her condition the picnic had been moved to the backyard and there would be chairs and tables instead of blankets. She was happy and completely relaxed, curled into Andy in the backseat of her car with Rusty playing chauffeur. They planned on telling the boys that Grandma Sharon and Grandma Andy were going to have a little baby and she was curious to see their reaction. A part of her was also very much looking forward to the feeling of their little hands on her stomach, and their curious questions. Her baby was moving a lot today and the boys would probably enjoy feeling that.

The meeting with SID had gone over well and she was pleased with the result. Something was going on between Andy and Rusty, but they both seemed content and if it meant Rusty would stay with her she wouldn't question it. She had even allowed herself to make a few plans: there was enough space for a crib in their bedroom, a changing table would fit over her bathtub and she would make room in her closet. She doubted her old clothes would fit again anytime soon, so she could easily store them at Andy's house. There was really _no_ need for Rusty to move out, no need at all.

"You're cuddly today," Andy rumbled into her hair splaying his hand over her belly. She loved when he did that, it was an instant connection and today her whole body was still brimming with the memories of the night before.

"I'm always cuddly afterwards … you know that, and after last night …" she trailed off and gave him a kiss that was maybe a bit too passionate considering Rusty was with them. But then Sharon knew he was focussing on the road and not really paying attention to the two people in the back seat.

Their weekend at the spa had been their last time to really be intimate with each other. Since then, Rusty had either been home or she had been too tired or too preoccupied – and last night everything had finally come together. Rusty had gone to see a movie with Buzz and Julio, and Andy had run her a warm bath. They had reminisced about the time they had conceived their baby and tried to recreate the experience – with quite some success, she thought. She knew she was lucky that Andy still wanted her so much despite her visible pregnancy. When she had told him, he had chided her saying she would always be the most beautiful woman in the world to him. And he had meant it, looking at her with such love and adoration she wanted him to never stop. They had been up until quite late and Rusty still hadn't returned by the time they had finally gone to bed. Well, or at least they hadn't heard him come home.

"After last night I'm having an even harder time staying away from you," Andy whispered when he broke their kiss and slipped his hand underneath her top making her sigh happily.

"Excuse me! I'm right here. Do you two realise that I can hear you?" Rusty rather unceremoniously interrupted their romantic moment. "Maybe you should consider giving Little Peach a new nickname. I was thinking about Spongebob – you know, with all those sponges in your bathroom it seems much more fitting seeing how ..."

Sharon whipped around and stared at Andy who was struggling not to laugh, "Oh my God, you _told_ him?"

"As I said, I have very good ears – and you two were kind of hard to overhear last night."

Sharon covered her face with her hands and turned into Andy's shoulder, mortified. How would she ever look her son in the eye again? And how could Andy laugh about this? She hit him on the chest.

"Andy, stop! And you, Rusty, you said you'd be home late!"

"Yeah, Mom. The danger of your nosy teenager making the safe choice and coming home at a reasonable hour!"


	15. Chapter 15

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **15**

Sharon was only about five months along in her pregnancy and her stomach was still a gentle curve as opposed to the mound she knew it would become down the road, but she was feeling uncomfortable and immobile. She remembered pulling an all-nighter in a squad car when six months pregnant with Emily and chasing after her toddler when seven months pregnant with Ricky with more ease than she suffered through an uneventful day at work nowadays. Getting old really was a bitch. And doing it pregnant and in heels was even worse. And then there was that small detail of being stalked by a serial killer and having to deal with the most protective baby daddy one could ever (not) wish for.

Andy meant well, she knew that. He waited on her hand and foot and was always there with pillows and kind words about how beautiful she was and Sharon tried to be grateful. She really did, but she had raised two children basically on her own and being pampered for any longer amount of time was threatening to do her head in. Andy loved her, she knew, but she didn't like being treated like fragile china. While Andy probably thought that he was indulging her, it was the other way around.

Now he was standing in front of her desk like a guilty school boy in the headmistress's office and she was almost beginning to feel sorry for him. She mentally squashed the feeling, reminding herself what had transpired earlier that day. In a bid to remind him that she was acting as his boss and not as his girlfriend right now, she folded her arms in front of her chest, effectively shielding her stomach from view and glaring at him over the rims of her glasses.

"Andrew." She rarely called him that, but calling him Andy seemed too familiar and calling him Lieutenant Flynn would have been a little ridiculous given their circumstances, so she used his full name instead. He straightened up imperceptibly. "Your behavior is inacceptable."

"But Sharon, I-" he began, but she wouldn't have it. Sharon held up a hand in warning and added in a steely Darth Raydor voice that she hadn't been sure she was still able to produce with him: "I am not done."

Andy rolled his eyes and raised his hands before he buried them deeply in his pockets, his posture a picture of frustration. In that very moment, he looked exactly the way he had so many times in the past when he had been standing in front of her desk in FID, ready but not exactly happy to be lectured on his latest misgivings. He was annoyed with her and that was almost a relief. She loved him so very much, but she loved him because he was in the incorrigible, sometimes immature hothead Andy Flynn and the mellowed down version of him that made everything about her and her pregnancy was beginning to tire her out a little.

The day had started out well. They had been late and she had treated herself to a cinnamon roll on their way to work. Her cravings being mostly about peaches, she did indulge in pastry now and again. Usually, she would try and eat a healthy diet, both for her child's sake and for not gaining too much weight that she was already thinking about losing again. That had never been a problem before, but now she was so, so much older and it wouldn't be as easy. They had joked about the cinnamon sticking to her upper lip and Andy had kissed it away in the LAPD garage before they had gone up. Only minutes after their arrival, a call had come in and the team had left for a crime scene, leaving her to having tea and catching up on some paperwork. Only an hour later they had returned with a disgruntled employee of the decapitated who had soon gone from that to extremely furious at being suspected of violently murdering his former boss.

Sharon who had conducted the interview, had become increasingly frustrated him with him and that had been a very mutual sentiment. Too dumb to cooperate but too smart to yell or to become physically violent, the guy had played nice for a few moments before beginning to drop first subtle, then blatantly obvious remarks on Sharon's pregnancy. Andy next to her had become more and more tense with every new stab at her age and condition until he had broken her pencil, perspiration on his forehead, eyes blazing. Having been the one to be trying to protect Sharon from the fallout of Julio's anger management issues, it had seemed quite ironic to everyone when he had finally flipped the table on the rude suspect, yelling about propriety and having to be calmed down by Julio.

An ugly fistfight later, FID had made an appearance in the form of Sergeant Elliot, who was luckily still thinking of her as his hero and had gone easy on Andy as per her request. That wasn't how she had taught him to be, but this time she was grateful for his worshipping of her. The suspect had threatened to press charges which he would and probably with Jack as an attorney, because of her rotten luck. He had a black eye while Andy was bleeding from a cut above his left eyebrow that Provenza had tended to with cotton balls soaked in alcohol, making him hiss with the sting.

"I know that those things Mr. James said were hurtful and inappropriate," Sharon told Andy, fixing him with a glare that came surprisingly easily to her, given the fact that this was the man she had slept snuggled against all night. "but it is not your place to take such drastic measures. I was in perfect control of this interview and I had wanted him roughed up, I would have said so."

Andy shook his head and threw his hands up in the air again. "He told you that you were a hundred years old and sixteen months pregnant and that it was ridiculous!"

Now it was Sharon's turn to roll her eyes. "You can't let things get to you like this!" she told him with all the exasperation that she was feeling. "He was a jackass and he was way out of line." His eyes widened slightly at her choice of insult or at the fact that she was using an insult at all. "But I am able to handle it!"

"But, Sharon! Your blood pressure," Andy pleaded.

"How about yours?" Now _she_ was gesturing exasperatedly. They were becoming the odd couple, she noticed randomly, as they seemed to be adopting each other's habits.

"You're pregnant!" he countered, making her lean back in her chair again.

"Oh, I forgot that for a minute," she said sarcastically. "Andy, I love you very much and I know that you are trying to make this as easy on me as you can, but around here I am your boss and I will not have you bring our private life into an interrogation! My blood pressure was fine today. I was annoyed, yes, but I was not in any danger."

His shoulders slumped and he looked at the floor. "I'm sorry, Sharon. I just worry about you."

"I know," she said more softly, endeared by his being so ashamed of his actions. "but you don't have to. I'm fine. Our baby is fine." She got up from her chair and came around the table, putting her hand on his biceps. Damn her hormones, she was getting soft. He looked up and gave his typical Andy Flynn smirk.

"If you go all caveman on me again at work, I will put you on permanent desk duty," she told him as long as her resolve to threaten him was still intact.

"You wouldn't!" he gasped, paling slightly. Oh, she had always known how to get to him.

"I very much would, so don't make me."

They glared at each other for a moment and she narrowed her eyes as she held his gaze. Andy finally let out a puff of air and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I'm sorry, okay? But I won't stand by idly while some asshole is insulting the mother of my child."

"Caveman," she warned in a growl. "Andy, I am not only the mother of Andy Flynn's child, I am also a police officer and the woman they call Darth Raydor. I don't need to be protected every step of the way. I can fight my own battles whether I am waddling around with a big belly or not!"

She realized that she had put her hands on her hips. Her baby gave a kick, probably roused by her adrenaline. For a moment it looked as if a thunderstorm was brewing on Andy's forehead, his eyebrows drawn together in an angry frown. Then something else crossed his face and before she could recognize it for what it was, he had grabbed her and turned them around so her back was against the desk. She knew that she should have been furious since this was technically a conversation between superior and subordinate, but she had blurred that line herself. His hands roamed her back and he pressed her against the desk as he kissed her rather roughly. Even though it came as a bit of a shock, she was delighted. It had been months since he had last been like this with her.

"God you're hot when you're Darth Raydor," he murmured against her lips. It wasn't quite the reaction she had envisioned, but she knew that she had his respect and that this was not a ploy to get off easily, but honest arousal.

"You're on desk duty for a week," she murmured between hot kisses, humming as he cupped one of her breasts through her silk blouse. "Plus you're doing an anger management course. Just because Elliott left your punishment to me doesn't mean that you'll get off easily." Her breath hitched slightly at this ministrations.

He grunted. "You're evil," he said, drawing back and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "but I guess I deserve it."

She pulled him back towards her by the lapels of his jacket and kissed him again, happy with the way his body was flush with hers. She knew that she would regret it in the morning (at the latest), but she sat down on the desk behind her and wrapped one leg around him, feeling him press against her. This was as far as she would go in the office, but she so enjoyed the exchange, them just being Andy and Sharon for once instead of the expecting middle-aged parents. She loved how he inspired her to be a little irresponsible from time to time. (Or very, when enjoying unprotected sex without making sure that pregnancy was _really_ out of the question beforehand.)

The baby reminded her of its presence with a series of furious kicks that were felt not only by her but by Andy, too, as he was pressed against her. Andy reached down and caressed the side of her belly, but didn't stop kissing her until the door was opened and they could hear someone very distinctly clearing their throat.

They came apart quickly, Sharon's back protesting and both looked at a scandalized Provenza.

"Oh God," he spat, the perfect image of righteous disgust. "Promise me that you'll never punish me when I am out of line, Captain. And you Flynn, never ask me to come in after ten minutes to rescue you again. I might be scarred for life now!" And with that, he walked right out again.

"You asked Lieutenant Provenza to save you from getting a lecture?" Sharon asked sternly, painfully aware of how little authority one could convey with swollen lips and messy hair, the top button of one's blouse undone.

Andy pulled a face and shrugged. "Sure!" he said with utmost conviction. "Woman, you're scary. I expected far worse than the anger management course and the one week desk duty. Did you le me off easily because I'm hot?"

She narrowed her eyes again. "Be careful, Andy, or I'll add a little punishment at home. You might find yourself sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Now who is blurring the line between home and work?" Andy asked smartly and his victorious smirk made her heart jump.

"Could you please oppose me again like this a little more often?" she asked. "It is kind of refreshing."

He looked genuinely puzzled now. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head and gave him a sad smile. "What I mean is that you want to wrap me in cotton and keep everything away from me for fear that it will upset me. I appreciate your concern, Andy, but I am a responsible adult, not a damsel in distress."

Andy ran a hand through his hair. "Damn, I never saw it that way," he admitted. "I thought you women all wanted to be treated like princesses." The comment might have sounded flippant and macho if Andy hadn't looked and sounded so genuinely embarrassed.

"Andy, you know me. I am not that woman."

He looked at her for a moment in silence then narrowed his eyes. "No more foot massages then?"

She hit his chest. "Andy!"

"Where do I draw the line then?" he mused, looking up at the ceiling as he pulled her to him again, his arms comfortably wrapped around her. "Do I have to let you carry heavy stuff?"

"If my purse continues to count as 'heavy stuff', then yes."

He grunted and kissed the top of her head. "Sorry, Sharon," he said earnestly. "I never realized you were feeling overwhelmed."

She looked up at him and caressed his back lovingly. "Honey, it's fine. Just don't beat up suspects again, okay? I don't enjoy throwing my weight around with FID."

"Okay. I could make a joke about your weight if that makes you feel any better."

"Don't you dare." Sharon pushed past him. "Come on now, honey. We have a murder to solve."

He followed after her, brushing her back with his hand before he stepped aside and once again became her lieutenant. Sharon smiled to herself. She wouldn't have it any other way.


	16. Chapter 16

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **By Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **16**

Rusty was surprised when he noticed the small changes. Andy actually let his mom do stuff again. Like, she got to carry groceries and put them away and he was no longer falling over himself to do everything for her. It was an interesting change for sure and he had a pretty clear idea when it had happened. Buzz had mentioned a fight of sorts at work that ended in a 'make-out session against the Captain's desk' at which point Rusty had stopped listening and rolled his eyes. He had had to roll his eyes some more the following days though because every time his mom complained about her sore back Andy would just wink at her and she would smile back happily. Gross. Gross old people. He really didn't want to know.

Andy struggled with Sharon's newly claimed independence; she could see how difficult it was for him and hearing him repeat his little mantra when shaving in the morning only made her love him more. Meanwhile, she was thoroughly enjoying the new balance in their relationship. It felt a lot like before she had gotten pregnant, when they had been a couple that argued and made up, a couple that shared life and its responsibilities equally. Except that she was actually quite pregnant now. Now into her sixth month her stomach was getting a little bigger and a little rounder with every passing day. She loved Andy's boyish excitement at her growing bump. Well, she did up until the moment he suggested buying a measuring tape to keep track of her ever-expanding waistline. That day, Sharon thanked her lucky stars that the Darth Raydor glare still worked on him - sometimes.

That was not to say that he didn't look out for her anymore, because he did. Like that day when she was too tired to get up from her desk at work and too stubborn to ask him for help and he spent five minutes in the green chair looking at her with that self-confident smirk of his. Finally, he walked around the desk and wrapped his arms around her pressing a kiss against her bulging middle and another on the top of her head. She hummed gratefully when she felt his hands massaging the sore muscles in her back just the way she liked. Gosh, she was so tired, she could have fallen asleep right here in his arms.

"I respect your independence and your stubbornness equally, sweetheart, but I think it's time you wrapped your arms around my neck so I could pull you up," he whispered into her hair and tightened his arms around her waist. "Everybody's gone so there are no witnesses to see the great Darth Raydor pulled out of her chair."

"Is that a promise?" she laughed and leaned into him, inhaling the familiar scent of his aftershave. They had been so busy that she hadn't had a change to do this all day, and she had missed this, missed him.

"We can even take a detour past that fancy French place to pick up one of these peach tartlets you like so much."

"Is that a bribe?"

"I was going to call it dessert," he said and pulled her onto her legs, holding her tightly against him, the baby giving a kick in protest at the lack of space. Andy laughed, "I think our Little Peach is hungry, too."

They ended up eating the tartlets in bed, curled up under a new blanket she had bought in another fit of nesting a few days ago, and she fell asleep in his arms with the half-eaten tartlet still in her hand. Andy stayed awake for much longer just looking at her. She was beautiful, but she looked utterly exhausted.

/

Andy hoped that Doc Cottle would finally reveal the sex of their baby at the next check-up, but he didn't trust him. He was determined to at least get an ultrasound image he could show Patrice so she could tell them. He had repeatedly suggested seeing another Doctor, but Sharon had, quite predictably, refused claiming she knew she was carrying a little girl with Andy's brown eyes, and she had cradled her belly in such a thoroughly adorable fashion that his heart had melted and he had forgotten to push his point any further. Sharon on the other hand had some plans of her own for the appointment.

"What can I do for you, young lady? It looks like my medical miracle is progressing well. Maybe a little too well, uh? You've put on more weight than I expected. Now let me see, there's a button on this thing somewhere for the heavy ones, don't want to damage my equipment," Cottle said fiddling around with the controls of the exam table. Andy couldn't believe that Sharon let the doctor treat her that way, his temper was starting to boil already and they had only just started.

The doctor was irritatingly quiet during the ultrasound, taking measurements and printing pictures while Andy's foot tapped along nervously. "So, young lady," Cottle finally said and handed her a paper towel to wipe off the gel, "are you ready to hear the good news?"

Sharon squeezed Andy's hand in warning as she slid off the table and smiled at the doctor, "We are. So, is it a boy or a girl?"

"Only one head, two arms, two legs, a perfectly healthy little human. You should think about seeing a midwife, my girl," he suggested as he sat down behind his desk, motioning for them to take their places across from him.

"What? That's it? You spent a good twenty minutes looking in there and you still can't tell us the sex of the baby? What kind of quack are you?"

Cottle lifted an unlit cigarette to his mouth, "This job can get very tedious, young man, and seeing your face is rather entertaining. So entertaining that I might not even charge you for this consultation."

"We can pay for the consultation just fine, you idiot!" Andy muttered under his breath.

"With this young lady's age you should be grateful you're having a child at all, let alone a healthy one."

"Sharon!" Andy protested trying to drag her away. They were going to find a proper doctor and they were doing to do it now!

"Could you recommend a midwife for me? We would like for our baby to be born at home."

The room went silent.

Then Andy exploded, jumping up and throwing over his chair in the process, his head a bright red. "What? Are you crazy? Sharon! We want our baby to be born in a hospital, with qualified medical staff. What on earth has gotten into you?" He felt like shaking her. What on earth was happening here? This all felt like some really bad joke, first that dirtbag of a doctor and now this? With a few large steps he was at the doctor's wide desk, leaning over it menancingly, "Doc, you have to back me up here! She can't have the baby at home. It's not safe."

The doctor remained motionless, but he knew the smile on his patient's face only too well. She had been trying to make a point and it was for him to deliver now.

"Don't tell me you're one of those? An all-natural home birth in old age? I always thought an educated women like you would have more sense than that. I agree with your assessment, Flynn, this one is crazy."

He could see the short smile of triumph on his patient's face before she quickly schooled her features and reached for her boyfriend's hand. She had made her point, and she had made it well. The two men had finally agreed on something – even if it was only that she was crazy.

It took the rest of the day and repeated assurances that she would of course give birth to their child in hospital before Andy would talk to her again, and then a more few days more before he could see the humour in it.

/

Andy quietly turned the doorknob to his grandson's room and stuck his head into the room. His heart nearly missed a beat when he took in the scene in front of him. There she was! Her features were soft in sleep, a strand of hair hanging into her face. She was lying on her side, her body curled around their unborn baby like she always did when she was alone in bed. Except she wasn't alone: there was a little boy snuggled up against her, his hands on her belly, his mouth half open in sleep. Andy's heart swelled with happiness at the sight of them. His family. The woman he loved more than he ever thought possible, their child and their grandson. He had volunteered to wake them from their afternoon nap, but seeing them like this he didn't have the heart to disturb their peaceful slumber. They had had a tough case the week before and Sharon had gotten far too little sleep for his liking. He had been so relieved when she had volunteered to keep Ben company during his nap.

So instead of waking them, he eased down on the bed bit by bit and stretched out behind Sharon careful not to jostle her. Even asleep she moved into his warmth and hummed contently when he buried his nose into her hair and placed one hand on her stomach. He drifted off to the feeling of the small hard box in his pocket and the soft kicks of their baby underneath his hand.

An insistent tugging on his hand woke him up not too much later. He opened his eyes, struggling to focus for a moment.

"Grandpa Andy, how come Baby Peach is awake when Grandma Sharon is asleep?" his grandson whispered. Oh dear, Sharon wouldn't like that new nickname.

"Hey Ben," Andy started in a low voice and pushed himself up on one elbow to be able to look at Ben. "The baby likes to sleep when Grandma moves around, it's a bit like rocking a baby in a cradle. And when Grandma goes to sleep, the baby wakes up."

"But doesn't Baby Peach wake Grandma up?"

"Sometimes, yes, if the little one kicks a lot."

Ben nodded and grew quiet, moving his little hands to where he could feel the movements of the baby. "Why are you and Grandma getting married at our house?"

Oh no. He was planning to propose to Sharon later today and they had planned a special role for the two boys, but it seemed Ben had misunderstood something. Andy could only hope that Sharon was still asleep so he could still surprise her.

Knowing how much Sharon loved their combined families and how much she enjoyed special occasions, he had minutely planned today with Nicole. He had even called Emily who had laughed her head off at being consulted by her mother's live-in boyfriend and father of her youngest sibling. When Andy had explained that he wanted to propose to her mom had she had responded enthusiastically, "Oh Andy, she will love it! Including your families in that moment is exactly what she would want. Darn, I so wish I could be there!" Emily wouldn't be, but Ricky had arrived just before Andy had come up to wake Sharon and Ben.

"Grandma Sharon and I are not getting married today. Not yet. Today I'm going to ask her if she wants to become my wife."

The little boy adjusted his position and looked at his grandfather with a serious expression on his small face, "Why do you want to marry Grandma Sharon?"

"Because I love her very much, and she makes me happy."

"How happy?"

While Andy was still thinking of a comparison the little boy would understand, Ben came up with his own explanation, "Like chocolate cake and ice-cream maybe?"

"Yes, like chocolate cake and ice-cream all day long, every day. Except I never get a sore tummy if I have too much. That's how happy she makes me."

"But you have to make her happy, too!"

Andy had already undergone a thorough inquisition at the hands of Sharon's sons in an empty interview room with Ricky joining over videoconference. Nicole had done the same, though in a more private setting, and now it seemed like his grandson was intent on repeating the experience. Well, he knew what he wanted to say.

"That's why I'm asking her to marry me. I want to promise her that I'll always be there for her, and that I want to spend my life making her happy. Her and our baby."

Ben nodded, having reached his conclusion, "I think Grandma Sharon must like you a lot, Grandpa. I think she should marry you."

"Thank you, Ben."

"But … Grandpa, what if she says no? She can say no, right?"

Andy sighed inwardly. His greatest fear was that he had somehow misjudged her and that she wouldn't want to marry him; that he would have put her on the spot and embarrassed her in front of her family. He took a deep breath and placed a soft kiss on Sharon's hair needing the connection to assure himself that he had made the right decision.

"I guess you better hope she says yes because if she says no, it's gonna be kinda awkward."

That child! 'Kinda awkward' - as if he didn't know that himself. But he didn't want to worry the boy. "Ben, your grandma and I have known each other for a really long time and yes, she can say yes or no, but I really hope she will say yes."

"But what if she says no?"

Good grief, this little boy was persistent.

"Then we won't get married."

"But she will still be Grandma Sharon?"

"Of course! Ben, Sharon will always be your grandma, that will never change."

Suddenly Sharon groaned and moved a little. Andy lifted a finger to his lips, "I think your Grandma's waking up, Ben."

"Can I be there when you marry Grandma?"

Andy was quick to nod, desperately trying to signal to the little boy to be quiet, but Ben was much too excited now, "And then I get to carry the ring, because Noah did that for mom's and dad's wedding and we get to throw roses at you and Grandma!"

As if on cue Sharon's eyes fluttered open.


	17. Chapter 17

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **17**

Sharon turned onto her back and pressed the back of her hand against her mouth to hide her yawn. Blinking up sleepily at Andy, she reached out to cup his cheek. She looked most beautiful like this, it occurred to him. She was rarely as unguarded as she was when she fell asleep or woke up from a slumber and ever since she had gotten pregnant, she slept deeply even during the shortest of naps and waking up took time. She probably hadn't heard the little boy's curious questions, Andy told himself. He was still good.

"You're here," she murmured then turned to her left. "And you, little man." Her voice changed when she spoke to their grandson who really wasn't related to either of them, but had become part of their family nonetheless. The little boy was wide awake, bouncing up and down on the bed next to her in excitement.

"Grandma Sharon! Grandma Sharon!" he yelled.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Sharon asked, her voice still light and a little more high-pitched than usual. It was that tone that her children teased her about all the time, but Andy loved it.

"Are you going to marry Grandpa Andy?"

Oh no - this was not going as planned at all! As Sharon had turned towards the little boy, Andy had some leverage to gesture behind her back for him to stop, even going as far as pretending to zip his mouth, but he knew that he had lost since there was no way of containing the words that were flowing out of the kid's mouth like a waterfall.

"And can I carry the rings? I'm old enough now. I wasn't when Daddy married Nicole, but I am now. Can I, Sharon? Can I? Oh, please. You need to say yes when Grandpa asks you today. He would be so sad if you-"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Andy finally interrupted him, effectively ending the one-sided conversation. "I told you to keep it to yourself!"

The boy looked crestfallen and Andy felt instantly guilty for being so harsh with him. He scrambled for something to say, but couldn't think of anything that wouldn't make it any worse. His heart was beating in his throat as he watched Sharon gently tell the kid to give them a moment. Her smile was so bright and endearing that the gloom lifted from the child's face and he willingly left them on their own for the time being.

As soon as the door had closed behind him, Sharon turned onto her back and smiled at Andy. She looked relaxed even though he knew that being on her back was anything but relaxing for her these days. He lay back down next to her and pressed his face into her soft skin where her shoulder and her neck met, inhaling her sweet scent.

He groaned.

Then he felt Sharon's body vibrate as she laughed. Her hand came up, her fingers sneaking into his hair at the back of his head and massing his scalp soothingly.

"Don't be angry with him. He didn't know any better."

"Didn't know any better? Are you kidding me? I didn't tell him once, I told him a thousand times not to say anything to you!"

He lifted his head and looked at Sharon to find her eyes shiny and a blush having fallen across her cheeks.

"You're enjoying my predicament!" he accused her, earning another chuckle. Aware that the baby usually reacted to its mother's mirth by kicking relentlessly, he placed his hand over Sharon's stomach and felt a kick against his hand. He looked up at her when she put her hand over his and he found her looking back at him.

"Andy, I already knew," she said softly but decisively.

"WHAT?"

Andy was pretty sure that he had to look like a cartoon character with his mouth hanging open like this.

She nodded, another smile tugging at her lips. At this moment, even though he would have liked to be cross with her for pretending not to have known while he was setting up this whole family affair in secret to propose to her as a surprise, she looked too lovely to seriously consider it. Her hand on his was warm and soft, her forefinger gently caressing the back of his hand as she spoke.

"Honey, I was in Electronics with Buzz when Ricky and Rusty grilled you on your intentions towards me via Skype and in person respectively. We didn't listen in on purpose, believe me. We were going to rewatch an interview and he hit the wrong button, so there we were. It was the sweetest thing, really. I don't think I've ever loved you more."

Andy's face was growing hot. That half hour had certainly not been the most pleasant of his life and he was embarrassed that she had witnessed it. Rusty and Ricky, having both experienced the way Jack had hurt Sharon time and again, even though in different ways and intensity, had been adamant that the man who wanted to marry their mother should prove to them that he was honest in his intentions. It had been a little bit ridiculous, Andy thought, as for all intents and purposes, he was living with her and was expecting a child with her. Marrying her would just mean making something legally binding that had already been there for a long time.

"Don't be embarrassed," Sharon told him. "You made a strong case."

"I did there, didn't I," he grumbled.

She turned onto her side again, slowly, as was the only way she could nowadays and rested her forehead against his. "I love you, Andy," she whispered. "and it's about time you ask me to marry you."

He opened his eyes and drew back to look at her. She looked genuinely excited, her cheeks pink and her smile nervous just as it had been back when he had asked her out on their first real date.

"If I ask, just promise not to say 'fine'!"

She chuckled and patted his chest gently. "Try me."

He rolled his eyes. This wasn't at all how he had planned his proposal to go, but there she was, snuggled up against him and looking up at him with those wonderful warm eyes of hers, waiting for him to make a move. He could have waited, of course, and chased her downstairs to go through with his initial plan, but this felt so intimate and so loving that he suddenly felt that he couldn't wait a moment longer. He took the little box out of his pocket and opened it, turning it around for her to see.

Usually prone to drawn-out speeches that usually went nowhere, he decided to keep it simple this time: "Sharon, will you marry me?"

He hadn't expected her to kiss him so feverishly and he rolled his eyes when she whispered into their kiss.

"Fine."

/

Sharon was having a hard time standing for any prolonged amounts of time, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't do it in her Murder Room. Most of the time, nowadays, she was cursing her bravado as her back was bothering her and her legs hurt even though she was lucky enough for her feet not to be swollen. She arched her back as she stood leaning against Provenza's desk and placed her hand on her belly when the baby reacted with a hard kick. She couldn't help but smile as she caught sight of the simple silver ring with the little diamond that caught even the harsh light of the Murder Room and made it beautiful. They had decided to wait until the baby was born to get married. He had pretended to not like it and she had pretended to insist because of the fact that she didn't want to get married with a baby bump under her wedding dress. They both knew the truth, however, which was that planning a wedding, however small it may be, was stressful and that any more stress would be more than Sharon could physically take at the moment.

"Hey Captain, why don't you take a seat?"

She snapped out of her reverie when Provenza addressed her and was momentarily stunned to discover that he was actually in the process of moving aside his bobble head and chattering teeth to make room for her to sit on his desk. This was definitely astounding, especially since Provenza still refused to acknowledge her pregnancy. He was a tough nut to crack, she had to admit, if even Patrice didn't manage to threaten him into submission. At least he was being good to her amidst his denial, even offering her a seat on the same desk that he was usually so territorial about.

With a gentle sigh, she sat down, not for the first time internally admitting that her very first notion upon learning of her pregnancy might have been right, that she might just be too old to do it again. The baby had hardly let her sleep the previous night and she was exhausted. Even though it felt good to be off her feet, sitting on the desk was a completely different sort of challenge as keeping her balance had become a bit of a feat in itself.

It was Andy who rescued her, albeit not by exhibiting unreasonable amounts of protectiveness this time. Instead he offered his hand to help her off the desk and grinned at her somewhat provocatively.

"Come on now, Captain. It is our turn to do the coffee run. I'll drive."

"Is it again?" she pretended to be annoyed. "Well then, Lieutenant."

She slid of the table, gracefully as aided by his hand, and walked towards the hallway, throwing instructions over her shoulder as she went. Once they were safely out of sight in the elevator, however, she leaned into Andy, feeling his arms come around her. She buried her nose in his chest and took a deep breath.

"Thank you," she whispered. He had learned to support her without being overbearing and she was very grateful for that.

"Let's get you in the car. I'll pick the farthest shop available and you'll recline that seat and get some rest, okay?"

"Rest," she murmured. "Okay."

He opened the car door for her and she climbed inside, her limbs feeling heavy. She chuckled despite herself when he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her in the passenger's seat, already drowsy with sleep that was about to claim her. She caught his hand in hers and squeezed it before she released it again. He closed the door gently.

/

Sharon was still asleep when they arrived at the coffee shop and Andy didn't have the heart to wake her. She had a few weeks to go before the start of her maternity leave yet, but she was exhausted already. He was trying hard not to appear overprotective, not to hover over her like a mother hen, but he found his ways to allow her to relax during the day without losing face. Those coffee runs were one of these means and he was a little proud of himself to have figured it out. Of course, the rest of the team was watching out for her as well - even Provenza who still insisted that she had had a big lunch. That excuse was becoming less and less believable. After all, she was already six months along now.

Andy eased out of the car and closed the door behind him slowly, making an effort not to wake her. For a moment longer, he watched her through the window of the driver's door. One hand draped over her belly, the other one was curled next to her head, her arm propped up against the headrest. She looked so peaceful in her sleep.

As he walked over to the coffee shop, untroubled by the long line in front of the counter, he pondered the idea of taking Sharon away on another weekend trip before the baby arrived. Some time away would do them both good and would give them some time to make that list of things they would need for the baby. And complete their list of names, still neatly divided into a section of boys' names and a section of girls' names as Doc Cottle remained as stubborn and uncooperative as ever.

It took him fifteen minutes to finally place his order, but he didn't mind as this would prolong the time Sharon had to rest before they would get back to the office. Once he had paid and was precariously balancing his tray of coffees towards the door, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out, half-expecting a disgruntled message from Provenza, harrassing him for taking so long. However, it was Sharon's name that popped up on the screen. She had probably woken up and was now wondering where he was. But wouldn't she have called? He swiped the screen with his thumb in order to open the message when he found that she had sent a picture.

The crash was so loud that everyone inside the coffee shop winced at the sound of it, but Andy Flynn had no way of noticing as his eyes were glued to the screen while the paper cups were rolling at his feet, spilling coffee all over the tiles and his shoes.

He ignored the angry barista and everyone around him as he ran for the door and for the parking lot, the image burned into his retinas.

The image had been sent from Sharon's phone, but he was sure that Sharon hadn't sent it herself. It showed her exactly as he had left her twenty minutes ago, fast asleep in the passenger's seat of his car, the dark shadow of another person hovering over her.


	18. Chapter 18

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **Chapter 18**

Andy reacted on pure instinct. Not caring about people around him, he ran out of the shop, reaching for his gun as he sprinted across the road. He cursed himself for having parked for far away. He cursed himself for having left Sharon alone in the first place. She had been fast asleep when he'd left her, pregnant and defenceless and now some creep was after her. Could it be Stroh? Oh dammit, he should have woken her up before leaving, he should have parked closer to the café. With a few more large steps he rounded the corner and sighed in relief when the car was still parked in the space he had left it in, seemingly undisturbed. He crouched down behind a row of vehicles inching towards Sharon's side of the car, his heart beating in his chest. One more step – and then he saw her, mouth slightly open and, it seemed, still sleeping peacefully. Oh God. Thank God. She was still here. He looked again - There was someone in the car with her! A tall man sitting in the driver's seat. Had he walked right into a kidnapping attempt?

Before the kidnapper could start the car, Andy's legs catapulted him forward across the stretch of road. His vision narrowed and everything around him disappeared, his whole being focussed on getting to the guy before he could hurt Sharon. He would put a bullet in his head if he so much as dared make a wrong move, never mind the consequences. A couple of long strides that seemed to take forever in his mind he reached the driver's side and yanked open the door, roughly grabbing the man's neck and pressing his gun into his temple, "LAPD. Do not move, asshole, or I'll blow your brains out," his voice was quiet and surprisingly calm considering the rapid beating of his heart. He pushed the gun against the dark blond hair, "Put your hands on the wheel."

The man slowly lifted his hands, not daring to do anything else, "Andy?"

Andy shook his head to clear his mind. Where had he heard that voice before? It sounded familiar, and not in a negative way. He shook his head again pressing the gun harder against the guy's temple - and then it occurred to him: the dark blond hair, the perfectly tailored cashmere suit, the light pink shirt.

"Gavin? What the fuck are you doing here?"

Gavin waved his hand, "Jesus Christ, put away that gun, will you? Now I know what she meant when she said you were overprotective! This is ridiculous!"

"Why are you in my car?"

Before Gavin had a chance to answer, tires squeaked, "LAPD, drop your weapon."

The two patrol officers had a hard time believing the story the Lieutenant and the distinguished looking lawyer were telling him. Something about a picture of their friend. A joke, the lawyer said, and he had clearly said he was looking after the woman. Sick, the Lieutenant said, his face red and the vein on his forehead pulsing prominently, sick and inappropriate. He should count himself lucky that he hadn't shot him on the spot! The officers looked at each other wordlessly and within a fraction of a second the younger one pushed the Lieutenant against the car and handcuffed him, reading him his rights while the other one radioed their shift commander for further instructions all the while trying to assure the lawyer that he had nothing to fear and would be safe. That lawyer sure had nerves of steel for someone who had just been held at gunpoint. If anything, the guy looked amused by it all.

"Officers, there is no need to arrest Lieutenant Flynn. I assure you, it was all an unfortunate misunderstanding. I am not pressing any charges, you can let Lieutenant Flynn go."

"Sir, that is not what we saw. Threatening to kill civilians is an inacceptable use of force. Diaz, call in FID. This is an LAPD officer. Better be safe."

"I was doing my job," And tried to defend himself, but was shoved back against the car.

"Miller, you're an idiot. I know you had a crush on her, but the sexy witch doesn't even work there anymore. Haven't you even heard the latest gossip? Apparently somebody was brave enough to go knock her up."

"Lucky bastard, she did have a great rack and some sexy legs for someone that age."

"Hey, watch your tongue! You're talking about a superior officer!" Andy was trying hard to keep a rein on his temper. He felt like beating the shit out of this asshole insulting Sharon, but he knew she would be upset and that was the last thing he wanted.

"What? You're this Flynn guy, aren't you? You're like legend. Darth Raydor. You drew the picture of the witch …"

"Enough!" Andy screamed fighting against the hold the officer had on him. He ignored Gavin's pleas to remain calm, but did take a quick look at his vehicle where Sharon was still sleeping peacefully. Thank God for that. "Look after her," he whispered while the officer was busy trying to restrain him.

"It's disgusting if you ask me. What is she trying to prove by popping a baby at that age? It's dis …" But what Officer Miller had been wanting to say was stopped when Andy finally freed himself from his grasp and whirled around, banging his forehead against the officer's nose and ramming his shoulder into his stomach.

"You asshole. You goddamn asshole! Stop talking like that about her!"

"Diaz, get over here. This guy is cra…" another well placed shove from Andy threw Miller to the ground

"Andy, cool it! You've done enough damage as it is."

"Me? We wouldn't even be here if you hadn't sent me that stupid picture! What, don't look at me like that! All this is because of you!"

"Calm down, do you want to be in prison when your baby is born?" Gavin's voice dropped to a hoarse whisper, "Calm yourself, man, she's going to be freaked out enough as it is."

Freaked out however was not the term they would have used a quarter of an hour later, when a sharp female voice made the four men and a recently arrived Sergeant Elliot turn their heads

"Captain Sharon Raydor, LAPD Major Crimes Division, Sergeant Elliot, what is going on here?"

"Sharon, let me explain," Gavin started but he was silenced by her deadly glare. Good grief, Andy's legs were starting to wobble just from the look on her face. He felt a curious mixture of fear, and shame and the intense to desire to hug her and make sure she was okay. She looked good, her eyes a striking green with barely concealed anger, well rested and standing up straight like that, hands on her hips, her belly poking out in front of her. Captain Raydor at her very finest. He almost wished she was wearing her navy blue trenchcoat.

"Sergeant Elliot, why are you arresting Lieutenant Flynn?"

She was impressive, even with her swollen belly and as the story unfolded she stood there, unmoved, an eyebrow raised at the two officers who were trying to hide looking like dogs with their tails between their legs.

"Well, Elliot, it appears that Lieutenant Flynn was trying to defend my honour. While I don't agree with the means, I think we can make some allowances for the sentiment." Many years ago, when Elliot had been new on her team, he had gotten into an altercation with other officers in a bar who had been making jokes about her. Then, he had been allowed to stay on in FID only because of her intervention, and the way she had spoken up on his behalf. Sergeant Elliot nodded and she could see the ghost of a smile cross his features. "I suggest that you let me deal with Lieutenant Flynn within my division and I have full confidence in your ability to handle these two officers' case within the confines of the law. May I take the liberty to suggest that a stint in traffic in Northridge and a few sensitivity courses would fit them rather well?"

Sergeant Elliot couldn't stop the smirk on his face – he had missed his old Captain and it was so nice to work with her again, even if only briefly. "Certainly, Captain. I shall consider your suggestions."

"Very well then. Since Counsellor Baker will not press charges, I believe you can hand Lieutenant Flynn into my custody now."

Without another word she turned around and signalled for Andy and Gavin to follow her, which they did without questioning.

"Care to enlighten me what made you hold a gun to Gavin's head?" she demanded when they sat down in a small restaurant nearby.

"Sweetheart…"

"Ah! Ah!" her finger shot up and pointed at Andy. "You insisted you defended your Captain's honour earlier on. Your captain's, not your girlfriend's or your fiancée's. So it's your Captain asking you now."

"Sharon, please…"

"It's Captain. Lieutenant Flynn, answer my question. What on earth possessed you to hold Gavin at gunpoint, in a public place, with me asleep in the car? Have you completely lost your mind? God, Andy!"

"Hey, stop shouting at me! Dammit! You want to know what happened, Captain? Fine. Earlier while in the coffeeshop I received a text message sent from your phone. It was only a photo – of you, sleeping in my car and a shadow looming over you. Would you like to see the evidence?"

Gavin chuckled at their display. It was only too obvious that all Andy wanted to do was to hold her and she remained professional and distant. It was too much fun seeing them go through their little dance. A part of him was also curious at what had set Andy off like that. It had only been an innocent joke after all.

Sharon was livid. They had been lucky that it had been Elliot at the scene and that she had woken up in time to clear up the worst of it. And that didn't even take into account that her fiancé and father of her child had come very close to killing her best friend. "Show me the phone," she demanded and took it from Andy making sure their hands didn't touch.

Her face fell as she stared at the picture and her hand dropped to her belly where her child had given a kick, probably in response to the rush of adrenaline that went through her own body. She shot a murderous glare at Gavin, but then she turned to Andy, transforming from the strong self-assured Captain into his lover and the woman carrying his child.

"Oh Andy," her voice broke, "Honey, you thought … You wanted to save me." She leaned into him and let him wrap her in his arms, her own snaking around his neck. "Are you okay?" she whispered into their embrace and when he didn't respond right away, too relieved to finally hold her in his arms again, alive and well, she leaned back and took his head in her hands, looking deeply into his eyes, her own full of worry,

"Honey," her voice was barely audible now, "talk to me, my love. Oh God, Andy!"

Gavin watched the transformation before him with interest and intrigued by how different his long time friend could be. He knew her as the captain, and as the mother, he was starting to get to know her as the woman in love, the girlfriend and fiancée, but this was different. He knew he should have looked away or possibly even gotten up to give them some privacy, but he was mesmerised and fascinated, unable to pull his eyes away from the scene in front of him. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, because at that moment Sharon and Andy were just that, themselves, alone in their little world making sure the other was okay and reconnecting after a scary moment.

"I'm okay. Now that I can hold you I … I'm okay," he stuttered taking a deep breath. "Don't worry about me, sweetheart. What counts is that you're both safe."

"You're here," she rasped, leaning in closer and resting her forehead against his, "I'm always safe when I'm with you, my big strong Lieutenant. We're always safe with Daddy."

Andy leaned in and kissed her, cupping the back of her head with one hand while the other was splayed protectively over her stomach, still shaking a little. "I'm here, my little ballerina, I'm here and I'll look out for you and our little Peach."

It was rare that they talked to each other like that. There had only been a few instances, intimate moments between two people who were still sometimes a little surprised by having found such joy in each other. The events of the past hours had rattled them both to the core and somehow it didn't matter anymore that Gavin was sitting across the table from them.

Sharon smiled, her fingers now raking through his hair and eyes taking in the beloved face: the many lines and creases, familiar from years of looking at them and long nights spent tracing them with her finger and her lips, memorising the texture and taste of his skin, his particular scent. "We should go and check your blood pressure. Do you feel any dizziness? Headache?"

"I'm okay. I've got you and I'm okay. But you … you scared them good, just like you did me back in the day." Andy chuckled.

"Oh, I can still scare you."

A sound somewhere between a strangled cry and a painful moan escaped his throat while he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Oh Andy, not like that! I'm sorry. Come on, let's get us all home. Blood pressure check and some family cuddling time hiding under our favourite blanket."

Andy pulled her even closer for a tender kiss. "I'm sorry I held a gun to your friend's head…"

"You were looking out for me. Andy, you did nothing wrong."

"Well, excuse me!" Gavin had been quiet throughout their exchange but they seemed to be out of their very private moment now – and they were sitting in restaurant after all, even if they were both drinking camomile tea, something he was sure Andy wouldn't have touched a few years ago. His dear friend clearly had her man wrapped around her little finger.

"You! You should be quiet. Your sense of humour is abysmal. Believe me, Gavin, you can be grateful that Andy didn't hurt you and even more grateful that you don't work for me. Believe me, I would..."

"Please, Sharon! Let's keep this all in perspective. I'm sorry I scared you, I really am, but all I did was sent a message to Andy saying that I would look after you while he was away. I called you sleeping beauty. I wasn't aware that carried the death penalty these days - particularly since he gets to call you his little ballerina."

Sharon chose to ignore that last comment and put her hand over Andy's moving it to the place where their baby was kicking. She knew it would calm all three of them and she was starting to feel truly exhausted. "Gavin, there is no message here," she sighed, "just a picture sent from my phone. My phone! What are you, twelve? Dammit, Gavin, you know the threat we're living under. Start acting like a responsible adult for once!"

"Mine ran out of juice and … you just looked too cute sleeping in the car in the middle of the day with your big belly. I thought Andy would like to know you were still well." He lifted his hands in an uncharacteristically tame and helpless gesture. "Sharon, I'm sorry my joke backfired. All I intended to do was to warn Andy that I would be waiting in the car with you."

When she wordlessly held out her hand, he placed her phone in it..

 _Well, what a surprise to find my best friend asleep at the roadside. I assume you're nearby? Just in case, I'll be keeping sleeping beauty here company until you get back. Gavin._

A message carried a little red exclamation mark with the words 'not delivered' printed below.

/

Andy spotted her across the street leaning against her car in the glow of the setting sun and broke into a trot, pulling her into his arms and swallowing the sound of her surprised squeak with his kisses. He ignored the comments of the men who had come out of the building with him running his hand over her belly instead.

"You wouldn't believe who I ran into today. Well, you probably don't want to know, but it was fun to catch up with a lot of the guys."

"You do realise this was supposed to be a punishment? If you're enjoying this too much, there are plenty more seminars…"

He interrupted her with another kiss and pushed his hands into her hair, bending back her head to get a better angle, "God, I missed you! Believe me, I'm the laughing stock of all the guys, because I managed to get send there by my fiancée. You don't want to hear the jokes about how Captain Raydor settles her domestic disputes. You've got one hell of a reputation, sweetheart, everyone in there is scared of you!"

"I hope that includes you. It took me years to build up that reputation and I would hate for them to think I'm becoming soft. Maybe you should do the advanced anger management course after all?"

Andy silenced her with another passionate kiss bringing his hands to the ticklish spots at her side. He wouldn't push her too hard, not at this stage in her pregnancy, but he loved the sound of her laughter too much to resist.

He had done the course she had sent him on after the incident a few weeks ago at the office, she had forgiven him for holding her best friend at gunpoint and their baby was growing steadily. As far as Andy Flynn was concerned, life was pretty perfect.


	19. Chapter 19

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **19**

Sharon had always known that it was just a matter of time until it would happen, but somehow she hadn't been prepared for the actual event to occur any time soon anyway. They were standing in the Murder Room when it happened. She was in her now accustomed spot leaning against Provenza's desk talking strategy on an upcoming interview with Provenza and Andy when Sykes and Julio returned with their suspect, the guy's lawyer following suit.

Sharon heard the creaking of Provenza's chair as he sat up straight at the sight of Jack Raydor. If his insistence that she was not pregnant was not an elaborate show, he certainly had a heart for strangely overweight women with big bellies, because he had become quite protective of her lately. Sharon tried her best to appear nonchalant, shooting Andy a look of warning when he rose from his desk at the sight of her ex-husband. She could tell from the way he carried himself, tension conveyed by every tiny movement, that he was expecting trouble. When Andy noticed her watching him, he stopped and made a show of burying his hands in his pockets.

Sharon stayed in her position against Provenza's desk not only because it soothed her sore back, but also because she didn't want Jack to think that his arrival put them all on edge. It did, of course, but Jack was better off not knowing that. The baby shifted inside her and gave a lazy kick against the hand she hadn't realized she had put on her belly.

Jack stopped in their midst as his client was hauled away to interview one and opened his mouth to threaten another law suit due to police cruelty, no doubt, but the words got stuck in his throat. For a moment his face became slack with surprise as his eyes dropped to Sharon's belly.

There was a moment of complete silence during which only the faint, far away swears of the suspect could be heard until Sykes told him to cut it out.

Sharon felt pretty safe in the assumption that nobody had thought to tell Jack about her circumstances. She had seen no reason to inform him and had just assumed to that her children would let him know at some point. Not having seen Jack since their divorce, he had not been on the forefront of her mind with everything else that was happening.

Jack's eyes were wide and glassy when he stared at her baby bump and then scrutinized her face. She could tell that he was taking in her appearance, looking for the signs that he knew so well. He had always claimed that she had a particular look in her eyes when she was with child and he seemed to be finding it again now, because his eyebrows shot up in recognition. He stepped closer, ignoring Provenza's little growl of warning.

"Sharon," he said, his voice low. "You're expecting a baby!"

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Andy snarled from the other side of the room and pouted when Sharon shot him another dangerous look. She turned to Jack, not bothering to soften her expression.

"I am," she said simply, silently reminding herself that Jack had no claim over her and no right to be informed of the events that had transpired in her life lately. The expression in his eyes was beyond troubled when he finally managed to draw his gaze away from the curve of her belly. He leaned in slightly. Jack was probably trying not to be overheard, but his voice had always been louder than intended when he was upset, so the words rang out clear as day.

"You know, I can't possibly pay you any child support with the way things are now."

That had come as a surprise. Sharon could see Andy locking eyes with Provenza behind her, looking both completely confused and a little amused.

She shook her head. "Why would you?"

Jack's shoulders sank in relief and he put his hands in his pockets, giving her the same lopsided grin that she had come to hate as it meant that he knew that she had once again let him off the hook.

"Geez, I'm glad, Sharon. The job is going well, but... you know how it is. So much stuff to buy, so many things to finance."

She snorted. The one thing Jack spent money on was his gambling and maybe drinks. She could tell from his complexion and the faintly sour smell on his breath that he was drinking again. She had spent so many years looking for the signs that it came naturally to her. Maybe he wasn't drunk right now, but he had definitely been drinking the previous evening. And when an alcoholic went back to drinking, it was never just a glass of wine as he had so often claimed.

"Jack, I have no idea what you're talking about, but I am glad that we agree that you have no connection to this baby whatsoever."

For a moment, Jack looked pleased. Then his expression changed and he looked as if his pride had been hurt.

"Well, there is one connection for sure," he said, puffing out his chest a little. "I must have been really drunk if I don't remember showing up at your place and getting into bed with you, but I think it's quite an accomplishment that I managed to get it up _and_ knock you up in the process when you're a little long in the tooth for this kind of thing, to be honest."

Behind her, Provenza made a sound that sounded like a dying rhinoceros.

Sharon was torn between slapping him and breaking into a fit of giggles. All of a sudden, his behavior was making perfect sense. Jack Raydor honestly believed that he had shown up at Sharon's condo roughly six months ago, had convinced her to have sex with him and had left her with another child on the way. She couldn't believe that man! The possibility that she could have been with someone else didn't even occur to him! Instead, he was more ready to believe that he had just forgotten that he had had sex with her - which also spoke volumes on the state of this drinking.

"Jack!" She rolled her eyes. "You can't seriously think that-"

"You know, Sharon, if you wanted anything from me, you should have told me earlier. I mean, it is kind of awkward to walk in here and find you like this! Baby Daddy being the last to know... that just isn't you, Sharon."

Sharon could see that Andy was slowly gravitating closer to them, a thunder storm brewing on his forehead. The only reason why he hadn't decked Jack yet, she suspected, was the utter ridiculousness of the other man's line of thinking.

"Jack, the baby isn't yours," she told him firmly, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "We did not have sex in a very long time and I, for one, am very grateful for that."

Jack frowned and she could tell that this possibility had indeed never even once occurred to him. At first he looked relieved that he wasn't stuck with another child to abandon, but then a different expression appeared in his eyes. Sharon knew it only too well as she had always dreaded its appearance: Jack Raydor's pride was hurt and when that happened, they always ended up in scenarios that were nothing short of bizarre.

"Who was it then?" he asked her almost a little aggressively. Sharon wasn't afraid of Jack even when he was raising his voice, had never been. Jack was an idiot, but he would never physically harm her. Especially not in her pregnant state, for Jack had always believed that pregnant women were to be wrapped in cotton and put away at home. He wasn't so different from Andy in that respect, but he hadn't been as receptive to her attempts to convince him otherwise.

Before she had a chance to answer, his eyes widened. "Oh God, Sharon!" He reached out and laid his hand against her hip. "Were you raped?"

Now Sharon couldn't help herself and planted her palm firmly on her face. Unfortunately, Jack took that as a sign that he was right.

"Oh my God, my poor Sharon!" He said, pulling her against his chest and making her lose her balance in the process. Upon being squashed to his chest, Sharon reevaluated her earlier assessment. He was probably drunk now or had at least had a few.

For once she was glad that And was being his protective self, because he approached them and pried Jack's arms open for her to step away from him.

"For God's sake, Jack, get a grip!" he barked at him. "She wasn't raped. The little one is mine. We're engaged. See?"

He lifted Sharon's hand up for Jack to inspect the diamond ring she was wearing with so much pride. Jack was draining her, Sharon realized. All she wanted to do was lean back into Andy's embrace and let him calm down their kicking child. For a second, she imagined a toddler with Andy's temper and almost groaned. If the force of the kicks was anything to go by, she was in for quite a ride.

When she looked back up at Jack, his face had turned into a grimace of fury. "You bastard knocked up my wife?!" he yelled, his voice too loud for the confines of the murder room. Tao jumped and Provenza groaned. At the corner of the room, Taylor's nosy assistant appeared and stuck her head in to catch some of the gossip. Sharon didn't like her anymore since she had found out that she was the one behind the rumor that Sharon was carrying a baby that had been conceived with Andy's sperm and the ova of a stripper using IVF. (How she had come up with that scenario was completely beyond Sharon and she had decided to forget about it for the sake of her own sanity.)

During the short moment she had wasted to dwell on her disapproval of the woman, Jack had needed to decide what the appropriate course of action would be and, as usual, he had come to the wrong conclusion.

"I'll teach you fucking my wife behind my back!" he yelled.

Andy's face was a dangerous shade of red now, too. "Ex-wife, if you please!" he yelled back.

The air was charged and Sharon stepped back towards Provenza's desk, not caring to end up between them should one of them decide to land the first punch. She threw a helpless look over her shoulder towards Provenza, well-aware that she had no chance to stop them now even if she started yelling. Muttering under his breath, the old man got to his feet, probably intending to talk some sense into Jack, but it was already too late.

With a blood-curdling scream, Jack grabbed Andy by the shoulders and lunged at him, knocking him backwards. Sharon knew instinctively that all she could do now was to watch it unfurl. There was no way of getting between them without risking for the baby to get hurt, so she just leaned back against the desk and watched.

Andy quickly recovered from being thrown into a desk and landed a punch under Jack's chin. Jack gave a growl and grabbed Andy's hair, pulling his head back. All the while, Julio, Tao and Provenza were dancing around them, trying to grab one of them without risking to get hurt themselves. If she hadn't been that embarrassed, Sharon would have laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation unfolding in front of her.

Andy had managed to free himself of Jack's grasp and was trying to manhandle him. She was with the right one of them, Sharon decided, because as angry as he was, Andy was clearly trying to end the fight by backing Jack into a corner. She was grateful for that since it would look so much better in the lawsuit Jack was sure to bring against them because of this mess.

"You are such an asshole!" Jack panted, trying to land his fist squarely on Andy's nose but failing because the other man's reactions were much quicker than his in his semi-drunken state. "Sharon and I, we could have gotten back together if you hadn't knocked her up. Damn you, Flynn! You've always wanted what I have!"

Sharon was slightly uncomfortable thinking that she had once been married to the man who was spewing such idiotic things at Andy.

"Snap out of it, Jack!" Andy shook his head in disbelief. "You two were over twenty years ago and our baby has nothing to do with it. You have no business believing that a woman like Sharon would even consider getting back with you. She is carrying my child and she is engaged to me. Give it up already!"

Sharon couldn't help herself; she found it a little sexy to hear Andy talk like this. It was a feeling that was not unfamiliar at all. In the second trimester of her other pregnancies, she had had a hard time keeping her hands off Jack, too. (Even that seemed horrific in retrospect.)

"It's enough!" she yelled at them, but wasn't warranted with a response. Sharon was not surprised, though. They were in their own little world. That very moment, though, Tao managed to get close enough to grab the back of Jack's jacket and pull him back. Jack whirled around and tried to land a punch, but Tao ducked under it, making Jack stumble into Julio who quickly wrestled his hands onto his back, effectively immobilizing him.

Panting with the exertion, all four men turned towards her for instructions. When she was sure that Jack wouldn't resist any longer - and as much was clear from the death grip Julio had on him - Sharon came a little closer.

"Jack, know that Andy is right. You have no claim over me whatsoever. We haven't been together for twenty years. You need to become sober again. To aid you with that..." she turned towards Julio. "... Detective Sanchez is going to deliver you to our very own drunk tank. You'll stay there t think about what you did."

Before Jack had a chance to hurl an insult at her, Sanchez wrestled him away and caused him to release a string of expletives as he was marched down the hallway.

"Lieutenant Flynn," Sharon said and nodded towards her office. "A word?"

Andy's shoulders sank and he hung his head. He was obviously expecting a lecture.

"Go easy on him, Captain!" Provenza called after them. "He was just defending your honor. Over a fictional baby, no less! You should consider dieting and exercise."

She glared at him over her shoulder then walked into her office and closed the door behind her and Andy.

"Sharon, you were there!" Andy began defending himself immediately. "I didn't pick this fight. I just-"

"I know," she said softly, planting both hands on his chest to pull him to her level. "I liked how you conducted yourself out there." She ran her hand down his chest and playfully tugged at his tie. "You didn't let your anger get the best of you." Andy's eyes widened now that she was almost purring. "And yet you were so very sexy when you told Jack off."

Now Andy couldn't hold in a chuckle. "So you asked me in here because I made you hot out there?"

"Umm..." Sharon was suddenly shying away from her own bravado. She tended to blush when it came to talking about sex. It was just not her thing, but today she was letting herself be carried away by the surge of hormones.

"And now you're embarrassed," Andy told her with a wide, cocky grin. He ran his hand through her hair and cupped her cheek, leaning in to kiss her. He let his lips brush hers, making her yearn for more but when she tried to deepen the kiss, he pulled back slightly. "You're very sexy when you're flustered, Captain."

She hummed impatiently and was rewarded with a deep, sensual kiss and a hand that went a lot further down her back than was decent even behind closed doors in an office shielded by drawn blinds.

She had to remind herself that she was six months pregnant and that her back wasn't in good shape as it was or she would have asked Andy to take her then and there (not without being extremely embarrassed by it afterwards, of course). He wrapped both arms around her waist and kissed her hard only to be interrupted by an angry shout from the door.

"Oh ye Gods! Not _again_!"


	20. Chapter 20

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **By Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **20**

The door opened and Provenza's head popped in, a scowl prominent on his face when he saw his friend and their Captain in a rather compromising position. "Ye Gods, Captain! That is _not_ what I meant by don't be too hard on him."

"The only one who is hard is me, and now get out of here!"

Provenza's face turned from white to red in rapid succession and he began gasping for air. "You … you," he stammered, pointing at them helplessly. "Flynn, I will never get that image out of my mind."

"Lieutenant," Sharon chuckled not sure who of the two she was addressing and not caring too much either when Andy only pulled her closer to him, one hand still on her bottom, his free arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders.

Provenza coughed and sputtered, needing to hold himself upright by the wall while he was wheezing. "Well, at least someone seems to appreciate all that extra weight you put on! Never knew you liked big girls, Flynn," he spit out when he had at regained his breath and balance.

Sharon's laughter died down instantly and even though her face was perfectly calm, Andy could tell just how aggravated she was from the tension in her body and the now rapid kicking of their baby. He had shown Provenza a great deal of understanding, but this time his friend had crossed the line. Andy's voice became low rather than loud so as not to upset their unborn child any more than it already was, "First of all, you don't barge into your Captain's office without knocking. Second, I know you refuse to acknowledge Sharon's pregnancy but I am sick of you harassing the woman I love. You will start showing her the respect she deserves - and now shoot, I would like to spend some time alone with my fiancée."

Provenza glared back at Andy and for a moment it seemed like he was going to either shout or pounce at him

"Right now!" Andy ordered, his voice a low, threatening growl Sharon had rarely heard before. The deep rumble in Andy's chest and his intensely masculine tone made her swoon. Gosh, pregnancy hormones, she remembered them only too well. First Andy putting Jack into his place and now this … she struggled hard to suppress a content sigh and buried her face into his neck instead inhaling his scent.

Thankfully, Provenza turned around with a huff and slammed the door behind him, the words "Enjoy the big girl." hanging in the air.

"Sweetheart," the warm note of concern was all it took to push Sharon over the edge. The sigh she had been holding in sounded more like a groan as she started kissing Andy's neck moving for the point she knew drove him crazy. She bit down on his skin and was rewarded with a hiss, "Jesus, Sharon, I thought you were going to back out."

"Close the door," she whispered, her voice husky and low.

"And let's talk?"

* * *

To say Andy was furious would have been the understatement of the year. He had let it go, because he really hadn't wanted to cause a scene at the office. Also Sharon had been there in his arms and ready to do anything but talk. He had already had her on the desk when her phone had suddenly rung... Still, calling his pregnant fiancée a big girl was more than he was prepared to take, even from his idiot best friend. So he had gone and confronted Provenza and … dammit. He didn't need a drink, but he needed to hit something, he _really_ needed to hit something because he was so angry he couldn't even think straight. He went to the shooting range to cool off and when that didn't help he went to the LAPD gym he hadn't been to in years. After his workout he was sore and sweaty and his mood hadn't improved at all. He would go home and talk to Sharon. She would help him calm down and focus. Maybe, if she was up to it, he could take her out for a nice dinner or a walk along the beach afterwards. He had left her in bed that morning with a sore back, but she had insisted he go and clear the air with Provenza. And what good that had done!

Almost smiling again at the thought of being home he opened the condo door to … boxes. Lots and lots of moving boxes, some of them already packed, some open, others still folded flat on the floor with a dishevelled looking Rusty trying to put them together.

"What the hell, Rusty, I thought we had an agreement?" he accosted the boy who only lifted his hands in a gesture of defeat, "Don't blame me. She made me buy them and bring them here. I swear I have nothing to do with this."

And then Andy noticed that the boxes were filled with Sharon's things, one held what looked like her favourite pairs of heels, another was carefully labelled evening wear. His heart sunk. Had she decided to leave him? He followed Rusty's direction to their bedroom stopping at the door without making himself known. Sure enough, Sharon was neatly folding her clothes and placing them into two large suitcases on the bed. There were more boxes, too. It looked like she had emptied out most of the closet already. He took a deep breath trying to remember what he might have done wrong. She said she had liked the way he had handled Jack. She had complained about her back jokingly blaming him for knocking her up. Well, that least it had sounded like a joke to him at the time. No, he was sure he hadn't done anything to merit anything quite as drastic. Although … what if she had finally come to her senses and was leaving him? That must be it. It was what Provenza had been telling him all along, that at some point Sharon would realise that she didn't want to be with him.

Sharon thought she had heard footsteps, but when Rusty didn't say anything, she continued folding up the pair of slacks. They had always been a little on the tight side and she wondered if she would ever fit into them again. She couldn't shake the feeling that somebody was looking at her and when she lifted her face and saw Andy leaning against the doorjamb, her lips curled into a bright smile. He was home and she could finally show what she had accomplished. Proudly she pointed at the half-filled suitcases, "I've had Rusty help me with the boxes and he even put these on the bed for me. You see? I'm looking after myself, no need to worry!" She put her hands on her hips waiting for him to smile and kiss her like he usually did when he came home. But Andy just stared at her darkly, "Don't you think that's a bit extreme?"

"Andy, please!" she laughed and shook her head, "Rusty is a teenager, he's perfectly capable of carrying a few boxes and suitcases for his mother. I would have gotten them from the closet myself if I hadn't promised you not to use the stepladder anymore," she added with a smirk.

How dare she change the topic like that? Andy was still seething from the talk with Provenza. Hell, he had spent most of the day fighting with his very best friend – over her, no less. And now she was leaving him? He was so wound up from his day that he didn't think and just blurted out the first thing that came to mind "You weren't even using the stepladder – you were on a chair! A goddamn chair!"

Andy's anger was like a wall, a physical presence in the room with them. She remembered that feeling from years ago when she had been behind her desk at FID and the good-looking Lieutenant had sneered at her, but it had been years since she had seen him so on edge. She looked at him more closely: he was definitely angry, but he looked sad and exhausted at the same time. Maybe she shouldn't have sent him to talk to Provenza on his own. She knew how much his friend's behaviour was hurting him, but she had counted on their decades old friendship and Patrice, who had promised to be there. "Oh honey, is Provenza still calling me fat and refusing to acknowledge I'm pregnant? Has that put you into such a grumpy mood?"

"I am _not_ grumpy – and don't you dare change the subject! Why didn't you talk to me about this?" How could she do this? How could she just up and leave him? Didn't he at least deserve an explanation?

"What's there to talk about?" Sharon sat down on the side of the bed, smoothing her hands over her stomach before she pressed them into her back to relieve some of the dull ache that seemed to be a constant companion these days.

"What's there to talk about? You seriously ask me that? I thought you would at least tell me before … Dammit, Sharon, put your things back in the closet right now! I'll pack up my stuff instead!"

Sharon's heart melted. Andy was such a sweetheart even if the delivery left a little to be desired. When he had moved in with her, he hadn't argued over closet space even though she took up most of it and now he was offering to make more room. "You don't need to do that. You have so little space compared to me anyway and I won't be able to wear these in the near future." She leaned back and patted the place next to her. "Come sit down with me, honey, you look beat."

"Dammit, Sharon, what kind of man do you think I am? Do you really think I'm going to chase you from your own home? It's fine, you decided you don't want to be with me anymore, but that doesn't mean _you_ have to leave."

Wait? What was that? Sharon couldn't believe her ears. "Andy! I'm not asking you to leave, I'm only …"

"No," he interrupted her rudely, "you're not asking me to leave, instead you're running away! Dammit, I don't even know what happened. One day we're engaged and now … now … I don't even know what I did, but I am not going to let you move out of your own home because you're breaking up with me!" Andy stomped through the room and started pulling his clothes from the shelves.

"Andy, I am not breaking up with you!" He continued to furiously throw his clothes onto the floor.

"Andy! Listen to me!" Sharon got up ignoring the pain in her back and moved into Andy's field of vision. He was scaring her now, his movements so forceful she didn't dare get closer to him for fear of being hurt.

"Andy!" she tried again. No reaction.

"Lieutenant Flynn!" At last he paused what he was doing. "Andy, I am _not_ breaking up with you," she said, carefully taking a step towards him and placing her hand on his arm. "I am making space for our little one."

For a moment Andy stood motionless and then the angry scowl turned into a questioning look. "But you're packing up all your favourite things. All those boxes in the hallway with your shoes!"

"All my heels. Remember how you've been badgering me to give them up for months now?"

And then he understood. All fight when out of him. He felt stupid and a little embarrassed at having jumped to conclusions so quickly. He looked at her standing by his side with a look of concern her face and a calming hand on his arm. She wasn't leaving him, she was getting ready for the next step in their life, their child. She was getting ready to welcome their Little Peach!

"You thought I was breaking up with you," she stated as she moved towards him and looped her arms around his neck, bringing her face so close he could feel her breath. "Whatever Louie told you, whatever doubts he sowed, Andy, don't believe him. I can't imagine my life without you. I love you. I'm carrying your child. We're engaged. I've made a commitment to you and that stands whether you're sweet and caring or overbearing and protective or just plain grumpy."

Andy nodded and rested his forehead against hers with a sigh. "I think I had my first real fight with Provenza today and then I came here and you were packing and … dammit Sharon! You scared me."

"I'm sorry about your fight, honey," she kissed him softly, "and I'm sorry I scared you. I just … I had to get things ready for our Little Peach. We have so little time left and so much to do. We don't even have a crib yet and no changing table and we have no space here and we're always working and I thought I would get a head start and get some things sorted out and ..."

For the first time that day Andy felt like smiling. Not only had she just called their baby Little Peach, she was rambling and clearly having her very first nesting freak-out. He found her plain adorable. His heart was so full, it was all he could do not to kiss her senseless and push her into the wall. Instead he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, and then another one on her lips. "Then I better help you clean up this mess so we can start getting everything ready for Little Peach."

That evening she fell asleep in Andy's arms with a blissful smile and a content hum, the covers pulled up right to her chin. As he listened to the sounds of the city below, the neighbours in their condos going about their nightly business and Rusty watching TV, time stretched in tune with her regular breaths. He loved to watch her sleep, her hair tousled from when he had run his hands through it in passion earlier and her lips still red. She stirred a little only to burrow closer to him and he placed a kiss on her forehead whispering how much he loved her. Even in sleep she seemed to understand, a low hum coming from somewhere deep in her chest.

Andy didn't know when sleep finally claimed him but he woke up to a dark room with an intense feeling that something was wrong. His sleepy mind couldn't figure out what it was, but his first instinct was to look at Sharon. It was too dark to make out her features, but her eyes were open, glistening softly in the dim light.

"Sweetheart," he croaked tracing gentle patters on her back. But instead of the hum he was expecting, Sharon whimpered pitifully and rolled into him, hiding her face from his view. It was only then that he realised what had woken him: their bed was wet and Sharon was tensing in his arms now, whimpering again.


	21. Chapter 21

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **21**

"Sharon? Honey?" Andy's chest felt constricted with the panic that was starting to grip him. The sheets around him were wet and Sharon was making sounds of discomfort, holding on to him for warmth in her semi-asleep state. Her gaze focused when he spoke to her and she blinked sleepily.

"I'm cold," she said pitifully, her voice heavy with sleep which led to her slurring her words slightly. Andy would have found it cute if he hadn't been that worried.

"Sweetheart, the bed is wet," he whispered, his voice weak and flat with fear. "Is it the baby? Is it coming now? Did your water break?"

Sharon was awake with a start, her eyes widening in fear. "Oh my God, Andy. I don't feel like I'm- no. No! This can't be. We have a few months to go yet!"

Andy was still paralyzed with fear, but Sharon reached over and switched the bedside lamp on. For a moment they both blinked against the bright light then Andy froze. The sheets were absolutely soaked. Even though he knew from dreadful experience that there could be a hell of a lot of amniotic fluid, this could not possibly be it, because there would have been no rational explanation for it _dripping from the ceiling_.

Sharon was sitting up in bed, staring up at the ceiling in horror, her wet pajama top clinging to her.

"Oh my God," she whispered, then got louder. "Oh my God, I told them to fix the goddamn leak! I didn't tell them once. I TOLD THEM FIVE TIMES!" She threw back the wet covers and got to her feet more quickly than Andy had previously believed her still able to be. Before he had even recovered from the shock of believing that their child would be born so early that its chances of survival were close to zero, Sharon had already grabbed her cell phone from the dresser.

"Mr. Peters, this is Sharon Raydor. I would apologize for waking you in the middle of the night, but I am far too mad for pleasantries. I told you several times - even in writing - that there is a leak in one of the pipes belonging to the pool up on the roof. Now guess what! It is three in the morning and I am in my bedroom which is absolutely soaked in water with more water dripping from the ceiling. My fiancé almost had a heart attack!" She calmed down and listened for a moment. "Damn right, you will. I might even sue you! Goodbye!"

Andy stared at her, speechless. Now he vaguely remembered being amused by Sharon's continued harassment of the building super because she was convinced that the leaking pipe under the pool would burst one day and release the floods into her condo. He had laughed at her then, but she had once again turned out to be right. She put her hands on her hips, her wet hair sticking to her forehead and neck, her wet top nicely accentuating the outline of her breasts.

"And you were making fun of me for insisting that the leak must get fixed," she accused him, eyes blazing. Damn, he had kind of hoped that she would let that one slip.

Andy untangled the wet sheets from his legs with some effort and opened his arms. "Come on, admit that you've always wanted to make love in the ocean!"

"I am not in the mood," Sharon growled and turned on her heel. The wet carpet made sucking sounds as she walked into the hallway, presumably to assess the damage to the rest of her condo. It turned out that the bedroom was the only room that had been affected while a very sheepish-looking Mr. Peters and his team could stop the flow of the water before any other rooms could turn into shower cubicles.

Early morning found Sharon and Andy on the couch both wearing sweaters and sweatpants Ricky had left on his last visit, snuggled together under a blanket for warmth while Rusty was in the kitchen making coffee and laughing so hard that tears were running down his face and he was doubling over from the pain in his stomach.

Sharon, on the other hand, was far from amused. Andy had seen her grumpy on quite a few instances during her pregnancy, but today took the cake. And understandably so. She was following Rusty's movements with her eyes, arms folded in front of her chest.

"This is not funny," she said for the third time, her voice now less angry and more worried. "The bedroom is uninhabitable and will be for a few weeks at least." She leaned back against the back of the couch and sighed dramatically. "Why does this have to happen now?" she lamented and placed both of her hands over her swollen belly.

Rusty tried his best to stop laughing, but the sight of his wet and dripping mother and her fiancé wearing Ricky's weird Star Wars hoodies that Rusty was sure he had left with them on purpose was just too much. They looked like idiots. He did feel sorry for Sharon, especially now that she was so eager to get everything ready for her baby, but he just couldn't help himself.

She shot him a dirty look as she went to make herself a cup of tea while Rusty wondered whether she was aware of the fact that there was an image of the death star splayed across her baby bump. With Ricky having been socialized in the nineties, his sweaters were baggy enough to still fit her despite her obvious pregnancy. Sharon rubbed her belly and winced.

"You okay?" Rusty inquired quickly. Despite the hilarity of the situation, he was aware that all the stress that came along with having a pool empty itself upon you through your bedroom ceiling was not exactly what the doctor ordered for a high risk pregnancy patient. (Not even Doc Cottle who they all knew had a highly questionable sense of humor.)

Sharon's expression softened a little. "I'm fine." She sighed again. "It's just that I am pregnant and grumpy and I don't have a place for my Little Peach to sleep now that my bedroom is flooded with pool water."

"You can have my room," Rusty offered, sensing an opportunity. "I could, like, totally get a dorm room."

Sharon smiled indulgently. "That is very sweet of you, Rusty, but I won't drive you out of your home. Besides, it is very hard if not impossible to find student housing in the middle of term."

She patted his cheek and walked past him to get some honey for her tea. She looked so cute in her hoodie and with the slight waddle that had snuck into her walk lately. He knew that she would never have him sleep on the couch even if he offered, but he couldn't imagine her and Andy fitting on it even if it was pulled out. And she could hardly stay at hotel for an undisclosed amount of time while renovations were under way...!

She turned around and narrowed her eyes. "What is it, Rusty?" He knew that tone. Her voice always went up like this when she was pretending to be innocent while she was actually dead suspicious of someone. He didn't care right now, though. He just wanted his Mom to be able to rest comfortably and be able to live out her nesting instincts to the fullest.

"You know what, Sharon? I kind of have a dorm room already. The one I wanted to take a few weeks ago? I've been paying for it for-"

He knew that he had made the wrong call when he saw the look in her eyes. This was Darth Raydor at her finest and the death star hoodie did nothing to distract from it.

"What?" she asked in that low dangerous voice of hers that everyone who knew her came to fear sooner or later. "Why would you have that kind of money?"

"Eh..." Rusty began and made another mistake: He looked over at Flynn for help.

"Andy," Sharon's voice had dropped almost an entire octave. "What have you done?"

Andy ran a nervous hand through his hair and shot Rusty an angry look. "Sweetheart, you were so upset with your blood pressure and all, so I asked Rusty to hold off on the moving out thing and paid for his room, so he would have it once you've had the baby."

Sharon put her hands on her hips. "You've been doing this behind my back!"

"I told you we shouldn't lie to her!" Rusty said stupidly and then wished that he hadn't.

Sharon's face had frozen and turned into an impenetrable mask. "At least we know where you are going to sleep tonight, Andy," she said, then stabbed his chest with her finger. "In the doghouse."

And with that, she marched off.

/

"Your man will get jealous if you cuddle up to me like this." Sharon just groaned and buried her head in Gavin's shoulder. He smelled good. Comforting and familiar and so did his guest room in which she had regularly stayed over after their monthly Chardonnay nights when she had been no longer safe to drive. Gavin had raised an eyebrow at the wet heap of clothes she had handed him upon her arrival, but had then wordlessly washed and dried them, so she had a clean pair of her own pajamas to wear and was no longer confined to her son's atrocious Star Wars hoodie. They were stretched out on the queen-sized bed in Gavin's ridiculously lavish guest room eating little treats from his favorite Italian deli and drinking champagne and orange juice respectively.

"Don't you think you're being a little hard on the poor guy?" Gavin probed gently. He understood why she was that upset, but he also suspected that it had more to do with the fact that her bedroom had been flooded than with Andy Flynn's perceived betrayal.

"He's overbearing, Gavin," Sharon groaned. "Yes, I do feel more comfortable with Rusty around while Stroh is still on the loose. Yes, I do appreciate that Andy is trying to keep all kinds of stress away from me, but I am so sick of being treated like a child."

"A child you are not," Gavin poked her stomach playfully.

"Ouch," Sharon complained and rubbed the spot. "Don't do that."

"You'll have to decide what you want for yourself, dear," Gavin told her wisely. "He's not going to change."

Sharon rolled onto her back and looked at the ceiling. "No, he's not." She turned her head and looked at her best friend. "Why do I love the idiot so much? It makes everything so very complicated."

Gavin took a sip of his champagne then toasted her with the flute. "Life is funny that way, Sharon Raydor. I do remember you complaining about him and his countless misgivings and insisting that you did not find him the least bit attractive when you were still in FID."

Sharon pouted. "I didn't."

"'course you didn't, Little Miss Prim and Proper."

"He meant well what with the whole dorm room scheme," Sharon said after a moment of silence. "I know that, but he needs a night alone to think about it."

"And you need to figure out the sleeping arrangements while the builders are there."

Sharon groaned again. "Why can't I stay with you forever?"

"Because, my precious little snowflake," he patted her stomach gently. "You are in for some little feet making an appearance and I am so not game for that."

Sharon was laughing and Gavin could feel the baby react to it underneath his hand. It was a curious thing, this pregnancy of hers.

"This apartment is not designed to host children and that you know. In fact, my ears are not designed to suffer through any prolonged bout of crying, my furniture is not designed to-"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Sharon was still laughing. "Fair enough."

Gavin lay on his side next to Sharon and left his hand on her belly where she was still on her back. She smiled at him and placed her hand on top of his.

"Does he make you happy, that Andy?" he asked her softly. These two were so different and sometimes he worried that it would not work. Her smile told him that his fears were unfounded.

"He's an idiot, but he is my idiot. I'll take him back tomorrow." She closed her eyes and yawned. "I got far too little sleep last night. Even Little Peach is tired."

"Night night then, Little Peach," Gavin said lightly. He was about to get off of the bed to leave Sharon to her dreams when her phone cut through the comfortable silence, the vibrating sound loud and ominous on the wooden bedside table. Sharon blinked sleepily and grabbed the phone, inspecting the screen. She rolled her eyes and answered it.

"Lieutenant Provenza, I was just about to turn in for the night," she said sharply. While she listened to her lieutenant's voice on the line, her face suddenly looked drained of all color.


	22. Chapter 22

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **By Miss Shannon & Glistening Sun**

 **22**

Sharon's face was white. Not white because of shock, but white with anger Gavin quickly learned. He had never seen her quite like this and when she took a deep breath and brought out her lowest, most deadly voice, he could only look on in awe.

"No, I will most certainly not pick you up from the bar. I don't know in what world you think it appropriate to call your Captain because you're too drunk to drive."

Gavin heard the old man's loud voice from the phone, but Sharon interrupted him before he could go on.

"If Andy refuses to pick you up, then that is on you – and I couldn't care less that you don't want to call Patrice. In fact, I have half a mind to call her myself!"

She shook her head and ran a calming hand over her stomach smirking at Gavin while the voice on the other side changed to loud vigorous shouting.

"Lieutenant Provenza, there is absolutely no way you can justify this kind of behaviour. Now, I was willing to tolerate your general lack of respect, and your refusal to accept that the man you consider your best friend is going to be a father. Do you even know how much you're hurting Andy with your stubbornness? I swore to myself a long time ago that I would not get involved in your friendship. But this is where it stops. I don't know what you talked about yesterday, but you need to apologise to him and no, I will not play your go-between. You broke it, you fix it. Is that clear?"

She pulled the phone from her ear and was about to hang up, when another thought crossed her mind. "And you better be sober when you have that conversation!"

"Wow." Reclining on his bed in her silk pyjamas with her protruding stomach, her eyes glowing with intensity in a face devoid of make-up she was a spectacular sight.

"What, wow?"

"Well, that was impressive. You would have made a great lawyer Sharon."

"Can you believe he called me to pick him up from the bar? Said Andy had hung up on him and wasn't answering his phone anymore. I'm his boss and I'm seven months pregnant. Do I look like the kind of woman who picks up drunk men in the middle of the night?"

Granted, it was barely past nine, but Gavin knew that Sharon had been that woman way too many times. First picking up her husband from bars while seven, eight, even nine months pregnant and with a toddler in tow, and later when she had spent a few years cleaning up after officers who had found themselves in drunken brawls.

"You don't, my darling. You look like a very irate, very pregnant mommy to be."

The reference to her pregnancy made Sharon smile, "I hope the two of them make up. They're difficult enough when they're having their little adventures, but I have a feeling the pair of them sulking is going to break apart my division."

"They're old friends, Sharon, they'll be fine."

"You know, I'm not so sure this time around. I don't know why it's so hard to believe I'm having a baby. I'm big enough," she pouted and looked at her stomach. "I'm exhausted, Gavin, but my Little Peach is suddenly restless. It's as if she knows her daddy isn't here and she's missing him.

"Maybe because her mummy's missing him, too?" Gavin enquired lightly reacting to the light in his friend's eyes when she said the word daddy.

Sharon bit her lip and smiled up at him, "Is it that obvious?"

"You know it's not too late to ask him to come over. My guestroom's big enough." He indicated the lavish room with a sweeping gesture. "Call him, mommy, and make both of you happy."

"But I'm angry with him," she pouted again gazing up at him through her lashes.

"You know I'm immune to that look, Shar. You're only punishing yourself by keeping him away."

"Hey, you're supposed to be my friend! You're supposed to back me up!" she playfully hit his chest and then leaned into him. "Just one night, then I'll take him back." She suddenly hissed pressing her hand against the side of her stomach, "We'll have daddy back tomorrow, my Little Peach. But tonight it's just the two of us. Girls night!"

"And me?" The lawyer tried not to look too hurt that Little Peach seemed to have taken up his place.

"You can start by acting as her godfather. It'll be easy, Gav, she reacts to deep voices. Just talk to her or better yet, sing her a song."

Shaking his head Gavin moved closer to her round belly. What an utterly ridiculous request though! He didn't even do Karaoke when he was drunk on the very best champagne and now she was expecting him to sing for her child? Thank goodness that baby was still safely inside of her so he wouldn't have to hear the piercing cries he was sure to elicit. He put his hand over Sharon's where it rested on her belly and noticed her grateful smile. The smile became watery and her hand turned under his to grab his fingers when he started humming.

"Darling, I think it's not just my goddaughter who's restless. You might have put your Lieutenant in his place, well, both of them actually" he said gently, "but now you two are much too excited to sleep. Let me call your silver fox for you. He can be here in half an hour and then you can sleep in his arms."

She huffed ungracefully.

"Half an hour and you know you'll be able to rest. I know he annoyed you with that protectiveness, but you've got to understand the man. Pregnant women do turn even the best of us into cavemen."

"Not you, Gavin, you're different," she protested mildly.

"I know I don't need to play that role because there's another man in your life who does it so very well. If he didn't I couldn't vouch for myself."

"Seriously?"

"And you're not having my baby either. Come on, you love him and you know you want him."

Sharon blushed, "Not that way, I mean, not right now."

In the end, Sharon drifted off while Gavin was busy rooting his cupboards for another bottle of peach juice. He found her curled in on herself with an almost angelic smile on her face and decided to let her sleep for as long as possible. He took her phone knowing she would hate him if she found out. He just hoped she wouldn't.

Early the next morning he found her phone flashing with a familiar name 'Lt Provenza'. He decided to ignore it. If it was important the old man would text and he was determined both his friend and her Little Peach would get their much-needed rest. He secretly adored that name for the child he was beginning to think of as his goddaughter - despite his reservations about children in his apartment. Soon enough his own phone showed a call from 'Grumpy'. He remembered that faithful evening of her first day running Major Crimes. Gosh, they had gotten absolutely wasted and she had programmed the number of her second in command into his phone deciding on Grumpy after she had repeatedly mistyped both Lieutenant and Provenza. Their chardonnay nights had stopped for a while after that because she had taken in Rusty. And now she was expecting another child. What a wild ride!

"Yeeees," he finally responded.

"Is the Captain with you?"

"Well, a very good morning to you, too."

"Ye Gods! Do you gay people always have to be so damn cheerful? Why isn't the Captain picking up her phone?"

"Well, because she's your boss and not your buddy driving you home in the middle of the night when you're too drunk to…"

"It wasn't the middle of the night. Listen, I know you don't like me and I can assure you, the feeling is entirely mutual. But trust me when I say she's going to want to hear this."

"You better be polite. If you don't, I'll personally see to it that she files a complaint about last night."

"Ye Gods, now let me speak to my Captain!"

Sharon, who seemed to have a seventh sense for when she was needed, chose that moment to waddle towards him with a questioning look on her face.

"It's Provenza," he mouthed and covered the phone with his hand.

She sighed and took the phone from him while rubbing sleep from her eyes. She had slept surprisingly well considering how much she had been missing Andy last night. "Good morning," she croaked into the phone and yawned.

"Captain, you sitting down?"

"Lieutenant, what it is? It's a little early for your antics."

"Flynn's missing."

Sharon stretched and rolled her eyes, "So Andy still isn't picking up the phone and you're telling me he's missing? Please, Louie…"

"No, I mean he is actually missing. Patrice talked to him last night and she arranged for us to have breakfast today, to, you know, make it right." Sharon couldn't help but smile – the longer she knew Patrice, the more she liked her. It was exactly what she would have done if she hadn't been so annoyed with Andy for being overbearing. "I went to the condo and he wasn't there, everything was flooded."

"Well, we had a leak in one of the pipes above, oh, anyway, I'm sure Andy told you all about that. Maybe he has decided he didn't want to meet with you yet."

"Captain, there was _nobody_ there."

Sharon could feel the muscles in her stomach tense and gratefully sat down when Gavin pulled up a chair for her. "They probably decided to stay at Andy's place."

"We have checked his house, but nobody was there."

Air left her lungs in a rush and she felt faint, only too grateful to be sitting down, "What are you trying to tell me, Lieutenant?"

"Captain, if they are not with you, both Andy and Rusty have disappeared. Both of their cars are gone."

"They might have decided to go to a hotel," she tried to argue logically while trying hard to shake of that feeling of premonition. "Nobody has used his house in a while, they've probably gone to a motel or are staying with a friend." But they would have told her about that, both of them! They were far too concerned about her not to keep her informed. Or not? Maybe Andy, her stupidly protective idiot Andy was still concerned about her blood pressure. Well, this certainly wasn't helping it!

"You really should have called them instead of me, Lieutenant."

"I did, Captain, several times and I got their voicemail. I had Tao track their phones. The last time they were active was at the condo about eight hours ago."

"Oh my God." That had been right around the time when Gavin had been trying to convince her to call Andy. "Oh God." The low, wavering voice made Gavin move closer and put a steadying hand on her shoulder. He watched her intently.

"Sharon, listen, Julio is on his way to pick you up and bring you to the condo. I'll meet you here. The team is here … SID is here. There is evidence of tampering with the door and with the water pipes above your bedroom."

Gavin caught Sharon only just in time as she silently slipped off the chair, his phone clattering to the ground unnoticed.


	23. Chapter 23

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **23**

Having stepped into the single room from the brightly lit corridor, Provenza's eyes took a moment to adjust to the semi-darkness. The lights were dimmed as far as possible and the standard issue hospital curtains were drawn, shutting out the nightly lights of the city. Baker looked up when he entered and offered a drawn but hopeful smile that faded quickly when Provenza shook his head regretfully. He focused on the woman in the bed, curled onto her side facing her friend. The covers were drawn up to her chin and an expensive-looking blanket was spread over her, presumably to give her some semblance of comfort in the sterile environment of the hospital room.

After just a moment, Provenza recognized the blanket as the one the Captain had been wrapped in when they had arrived at Baker's home only to find him storming out of it carrying their unconscious Captain in his arms. At first it had been a relief when she had come to in the back of Provenza's car on the way to the hospital, but then not even the whining of the police alarm had been able to drown out her outcry of pain when the first contraction had had her double over. Baker had given Flynn a run for his money upon entering the hospital, shouting at nurses and doctors and generally taking charge to make sure that Sharon got the help she needed. Now that the adrenaline had long gone from his veins, Baker looked tired and devoid of his usual cheerfulness. He looked older than he was when he slowly got up from the chair and came towards the door to meet Provenza.

"How is she?" Provenza asked, gesturing towards the Captain who was showing no signs of being aware of his arrival. She was still wearing the pajamas she had been in that morning, holding on to something he could not see with the blanket in the way.

Baker shook his head. "Not good. They were able to stop the contractions for now, but the medication is wearing her out. It makes her sick and dizzy." He folded his arms in front of his chest as he squinted up at Provenza with tired eyes. "So no news at all?"

Provenza huffed. "Not a single lead. The others are working around the clock, but worrying about the Captain messes with their focus. I am here to check on her for them. Put their minds at ease for a while."

Baker nodded gravely. "The doctors say that the shock is what put her into labor. It is under control at the moment, but there are no guarantees that it will not start again once they ease her off the medication. We need to find Andy and Rusty safe and sound. We just have to."

Neither of the men spoke for a moment as they pondered the consequences of a different outcome.

"You look beat, Baker. Go get a cup of coffee. I'll watch over her for a while." Baker looked reluctant for a moment, but then his exhaustion won over. He turned around to look at the Captain who hadn't moved at all since Provenza had entered the room.

"I haven't eaten since yesterday. I guess it won't help her if I pass out myself. I'll be right back," he said softly.

"Take your time. I'll call you if anything changes," Provenza said and watched him close the door behind himself before he finally approached the bed.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed how pale the Captain was. There were freckles on her nose that he had never noticed before. He also realized that what she was clutching to her chest was a stuffed toy owl that looked too old and worn to be one of the toys Andy kept buying and storing in his desk for their highly unlikely baby.

The plastic chair creaked when he sat down and she finally opened her eyes that took a moment to focus, probably courtesy of her exhaustion or even the medication.

"Hey," he said for lack of something more elaborate. She looked small in the bed.

"Hey," she replied, her voice low and raspy with sleep.

"There are no news yet. I have come to check on you. Baker was about to pass out, so I sent him to the cafeteria."

"Good of you," she replied. Her manner of speaking was very different from her usual modulated tones. It sounded as if she was having trouble forming the words that came out slow as a consequence, the consonants blurred.

"Who's that?" He pointed at the owl and she tightened her grip on it for a moment like a child holding on to its most prized possession.

"Mr. Owl," she said. "He belonged to Emily once. She left him for me when she moved out and I've been sleeping with him ever since." She smiled self-consciously. "Or used to before Andy- especially when things were bad."

Provenza tried to imagine the tough-as-nails FID-Captain going home to curl up with a stuffed animal but failed even now that the sight was right in front of him. Somehow he didn't recognize the sick woman in the bed as his Captain. It seemed as if all the fight had gone out of her.

"You know, this sounds like exactly the sort of thing Flynn would feel threatened by."

Her eyes clouded over at the mention of Flynn and Provenza regretted bringing him up immediately. When she began to speak, however, it seemed as if she was drawing some strength from talking about him.

"In the beginning I hid Mr. Owl in my drawer whenever Andy came over." She smiled at the memory and her voice was beginning to sound a little bit lighter. "I forgot to after I'd spent a night alone after a particularly bad case." She paused to gather strength; talking proved to be harder for her than he had expected. "He couldn't stop laughing."

Provenza imagined the moment and smiled along with her. Who would have guessed that his captain would be this sentimental.

The Captain tensed and her eyes seemed to lose their focus for a moment as it shifted inward. Eager to take some of the burden off her, he reached for her hand and felt her fingers close around his as she whimpered in pain.

"Is it bad? Do you need the doctor?" he asked her but she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment before the tension left her body and she was able to look at him again. Sharon took a shuddering breath and shifted slightly in the bed.

"It's okay. They said that they would keep coming for a while. It hurts, though. And it scares me."

He watched her put her hand on her stomach and when he looked up at her again, he could see apprehension in her eyes. This was not the moment to play his game, he understood. Instead he brushed her hand with his as she pressed it against a kick from the inside.

"Contractions are a bitch or so I hear."

Her brows lifted ever so slightly as he said it. "You believe me that I have them? You do realize that one has to be pregnant in order to have contractions, right?" she asked softly. He had been wrong. Despite her desolate state, the fight was still very much in her. The discovery cheered him up a little.

"I can't be sure. High school biology was a long time ago," Provenza replied in the lightest tone he could manage under the circumstances.

She pulled her legs up a little, curling more tightly into herself and closing her eyes again. She looked exhausted and defeated and he longed to take the burden away from her even though he knew that he had no means to do so.

"No clues in the first twenty-four hours," she said softly, her eyes still closed. "That's a bad sign."

"Stroh likes to taunt. He will contact us and he will make a mistake," Provenza said even though he wasn't sure whether he believed it himself. He wasn't sure of much of anything these days, except that Stroh was behind his best friend's disappearance. That seemed like a given. The Captain didn't seem convinced. She was slurring her words a little, being too exhausted to say them right.

"I'm scared that he'll never know that he was right," she said, voice heavy with tears.

"Impossible," Provenza told her softly. "Flynn is never right."

Her eyes were shining with tears when she looked at him. "He was this time. My Doctor refused to tell us the gender of our baby, but the attending physician here didn't think of the fact that we might not know at this stage, so he just said it." She bit her lip before she spoke again. "It's a little boy. Just like Andy said."

Provenza didn't have the heart to question her pregnancy anymore. Not under these circumstances. Not when she was in a hospital bed fighting for her baby's life. Her son's life. He was about to say something when she started to cry. Even Sharon Raydor's emotional outbursts were quiet, the tears running down her face and seeping into pillow without her making a sound.

When she tensed again, exhaling in pain, he reached over her and rubbed her lower back.

"Easy, Captain. That baby isn't coming just yet."

Her eyes were red-rimmed but greener with the tears yet unshed as she opened them to look at him. A sad smile broke through her tears as he openly acknowledged her pregnancy for the first time.

"He can't. He is not ready," she whispered. "I can't lose him, Louie. Not my baby, too."

Provenza flinched at the usage of his first name, but decided to extend the privilege of calling him that to her as well. She did outrank him, after all.

"You haven't lost Flynn and Rusty, Captain. We will find them and we will bring them back to you. And then you can put your feet up and have Flynn wait on you. And the kid, too."

Her breathing had changed. It now came in short puffs.

"Sharon?" Without thinking about what he was doing, he reached out for her forehead. It was burning hot. "Sharon?" he repeated, but didn't receive an answer.

His chair toppled over as he got to his feet and started yelling for the nurse.


	24. Chapter 24

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **By Miss Shannon & Glistening Sun**

 **24**

Everything hurt. Sharon couldn't even decide what hurt most. She was hot and sweaty, yet shivering. Her head was pounding, her back was aching and it felt like her whole body was on fire. She tried to move, but something seemed to be strapped around her, holding her down. She started to hum to soothe herself, but it didn't help much.

Slowly she became aware of movement, movement within herself. Her baby! Her little boy! She placed her hand over the place she had last felt him, whispering words of love and applying a little counterpressure until he kicked back. She sighed: if nothing else, her little boy was well.

Her mind seemed to be wrapped in cotton wool, she was feverish and lonely. A sadness so profound she couldn't even find the words to describe it had settled in her. She knew that something was very wrong, but her mind was too foggy to remember what it was. With a low groan she curled more tightly into herself, wrapping her body around her child instinctively protecting her only link to Andy.

She woke up to another type of movement. This time, the movement didn't come from within her belly. The mattress dipped as if something heavy was being placed next to her. A familiar smell assaulted her nostrils, making her lips curl into a small smile. A long warm body stretched out behind her, moulded against her back, a hand coming to hold hers.

"You're here," she whispered in wonder and felt herself relax against his strong form.

"Where else would I be? Close your eyes and try to rest, sweetheart. I'm here."

When he buried his face into her hair and kissed the sensitive skin of her neck, she hummed contently. His large hand was holding her small one, fingers lacing together. She stretched a little, bringing her body into more contact with his until her back fit snugly against his chest and one of her legs had found its place between his. The warmth that radiated from him soothed her pain and while she had been hot and sweaty just a moment ago, she was now just comfortable.

"I missed you," she whispered and his embrace tightened. "I missed you, too, my love. Are you okay, any more contractions?"

Sharon hummed, "Not for a while."

"Good," he mumbled and ran his hand over her belly.

She had always loved these hands that were so big and strong, that could make her feel safe with a single touch. It seemed that not so long ago they had been able to cover her entire stomach - but not anymore. Still, as he splayed his hand right over her bellybutton she sighed happily.

"I love you, Sharon. Don't ever forget how much I love you. No matter whether I'm holding you in my arms or I'm far away, you are my greatest love."

Sharon tried to turn around to look into his face, to tell him that he, too, was her one great love, but his tight embrace didn't leave her much space to move. Finally Andy seemed to notice what she wanted and helped her turn, a strong arm underneath her heavy stomach. Their lips met in a gentle kiss before she pulled away and buried her face into his neck, greedily sucking in the familiar scent. He was back. Andy was back.

"I love you," she whispered as his fingers ran through her hair, making her feel sleepy, "and we're going to have a little boy."

"I was right," he stated matter-of-factly and she laughed happily. "A tiny little Andy."

"It's good we're having a boy. You'll be able to look at him whenever you want to remember me, my love. You'll look at him and you'll see me and you'll know just how much I loved you."

"Andy, no! Don't talk like you won't be here!" Panic was starting to rise in her and she wanted to move her head to look at him, but a strong hand pulled her face into his chest, lips gently kissing her forehead. "I'll always be in your heart. I'll never leave you. And now sleep, my love, rest for our little boy's sake."

He began rocking her back and forth gently, just as she liked it, one hand cupping her head and holding her close while the other rested on the side of her stomach, warm and heavy. His deep calm voice lulled her to back to sleep. She only registered snippets of what he said.

"I'll always be in your heart, sweetheart … call him Angelo, our little angel, after the city his parents helped to protect, after the city you love so much. Don't call him Andrew Junior. I know you'd like that, but call him Angelo, it's still close enough so he has something to remember me by. Talk to him about me, sweetheart. Don't let him forget me."

His voice was so soft and kind that her mind didn't seem to understand just how ominous his words were and so, with his lips on her temple and ensconced safely in his arms, she drifted off into a deep and painless sleep.

* * *

Emily had been watching her mother for the past day, Mr Owl clutched tightly to her face. It seemed like she had finally settled down in the early hours of the morning, sighing and turning onto her other side where she then rested peacefully, a smile on her face. She had checked the monitor attached to the CTG throughout the night, but it looked okay. Patrice had shown her what to look for and at least her mom wasn't in labour anymore. Her fever seemed to be down as well. Maybe the worst was over …

"Emily?" her mother's hoarse voice woke her up.

"Mom, hey, you're awake!" Emily smiled and put her hand on the side of her mother's face. "Good morning," she said softly, "how are you feeling?"

"Emily, what are you doing here? You needn't have come!"

That was so like her mother, always turning down offers of help or support. Emily shook her head and caressed her mother's cheek. "Trust me, Mom, I had to come. My little brother and my almost-step-dad are missing, you were in preterm labour and …"

"Emily, no, everything's fine now. They're back. Andy spent last night here with me." If she hadn't known better, Emily would have fallen for her - so convincing did she sound. But Emily knew better and so she shook her head and, with a sad look, pushed the matted hair away from her mother's forehead. "Mom, Andy and Rusty are still missing."

"But … Emily, Andy was here. I …"

"They gave you steroids to speed up the little one's lung development in case they wouldn't be able to stop the labour. You … you didn't do too well with the medication, you got a really high fever." That was what she would tell her mother for now. There was no need to tell her just how severe the side effects had been and just how close she had come to loosing her baby brother. After that call from Gavin, his voice hoarse and shaky, she had dropped everything else and rushed to her mother's bedside.

Emily watched as realisation dawned on her mother's face and the pain crept into her features. Her hand seemed to automatically reach for her stomach – not doubt trying to calm herself as much as her baby.

"Emily…" she pleaded, "What happened?"

"First of all, the little one is fine. They're keeping you on the CTG to make sure they catch any signs of labour."

Sharon nodded, "Thank God."

"But Andy and Rusty are still missing, Mom."

"How long?" her voice was barely a whisper.

"Day four."

"Oh Emily."

Emily was the child of a cop, and she knew as well as her mother what that meant. The longer they were missing the less likely they were to get them back and at this point...

"No. Oh no!"

Her mother's head sunk back into the pillow and she closed her eyes, her face drawn, her skin white and pallid as tears began sliding down her cheeks. Her hands kept caressing her stomach in a random pattern. Emily knew she was following the baby's movements and when her little brother gave a particularly strong kick, her mother's face showed the slightest hint of a smile.

"Oh Emily," she said again crying in earnest now. "You shouldn't have put your life on hold to come, but I am ever so glad you are here."

"Mom…" Emily hated seeing her mother so helpless and despondent. She had always been the strong one and the only tears she'd shed in front of her had been happy ones. It wasn't like she hadn't seen her mother cry over her father, but those had always been private moments when her mother had believed herself to be alone. Little Emily had watched those episodes from her earliest childhood on. But now her mother was crying in front of her and not even trying to hide it.

"Can you call Lieutenant Provenza? I … I need to know where they stand with the search. God, I need to go to the office and work. I can't just lie here."

"You're not going anywhere, Mom. You've got one job and one job only: to make sure my little brother gets here safely."

"But …"

"No buts. You know it's what Andy would want you to do."

It was a bit of a low blow, but Emily figured that the end justified the means and she was beyond sure that it was exactly what Andy would want her to do. From the few times she'd seen them interact since her mother had gotten pregnant, Andy might not even approve of her being updated on the search too much.

"Em … I should have been there. We should have been together. We … we had a fight."

"Whatever happened, I'm sure Andy is grateful that you weren't there, that you and Little Peach are safe."

Sharon took a deep breath and smiled at her daughter, "You've spent too much time with him … I just … God, I want him back."

"We all do, Mom. Let me call the grumpy Lieutenant. He wanted to talk to you anyway."

"Do they have any leads?"

"Just talk to him," Emily said trying to avoid her mother's eyes. But there was no way something went past her mother, even when she was lying in a hospital bed. One look was enough to know that her daughter was hiding something and Emily squirmed under her intense gaze.

"Emily! Emily Raydor, stop lying to your mother. What did he talk to you about?"

"I'd really rather you talk to him."

How did her mother manage to be just as scary lying in a hospital bed with a swollen stomach and a stuffed owl as she was in her black suit and heels? She didn't even need to say anything: she just looked at her and Emily relented instantly. "It's, uh, it's a little delicate, Mom. Listen, I know you love Andy, but … God, I hate doing this. I don't know how you people do this but … have you and Dad like … like reconciled? I mean like … intimately?"

"Emily!" Sharon sat up straight, Mr Owl lying forgotten beside her.

"Just that … Dad went to see you at work and he seems to think that the baby is his."

Sharon didn't even register the full meaning of the sentence before she shot back, "How do you even know about that?"

Emily rolled her eyes. Didn't her mother know how the LAPD worked? She had grown up an officer's kid and she and her peers still talked. Her mother putting her father into the drunk tank was not something that would skip her attention, much less the more salacious details surrounding the incident "I just know, okay?"

"We haven't reconciled." Before Sharon could ask or explain anymore, she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Captain? May I come in?"

"Lieutenant Provenza," she drew out every syllable and Emily was only too glad that her mother's intense attention was now directed towards someone else. "I need an update – stat."

"How are you, Captain?"

Emily smirked – the old man was trying to make small talk, but he was obviously failing – and her mother was now furious.

"I need an update regarding the search for Lieutenant Flynn and my son," Sharon demanded. "Where do we stand? And while you're at it, please enlighten me on why you found it fit to talk to my daughter about a possible reconciliation between me and my ex-husband."

"Uh, Captain… we've worked all angles on the case. We haven't heard anything from Stroh, no letters, no ransom notice, nothing. All our sources tell us he is still in Greece, maybe Macedonia by now. Whoever took them, it wasn't Stroh."

"And?"

"And? Dammit, Sharon, I don't know what kind of game you're playing. That idiot is my best friend and for some strange reason, he loves you. I warned him, I warned you and you promised me this wouldn't happen."

"What wouldn't happen?"

"Do you know how much he was looking forward to that baby? Hell, the guy was over the moon and back, he loves you and he would do anything for you. How dare you make him think that ... that … Captain, you disgust me!"

"Excuse me? Lieutenant, I am willing to cut you some slack because Andy is missing and he's your friend, but what on earth are you trying to say?"

"What I am saying is that you made him believe that baby was his. And when your ex-husband decided to come back, you dropped Andy like a hot potato! You drove him away! There are no signs of a struggle at the condo - other than the broken door. It certainly looks like both of them went willingly."

"Without their phones?"

"You broke his heart. Damn, did you have to lead him on like that, make him believe the baby is his? Couldn't you have found a way to let him down easily?"

"This is ridiculous! Of course Andy is our baby's father – who else should it be? What you are saying is an insult to both Andy and me and I will not allow anyone to talk about us like that. I have always been faithful to Andy!"

"Well, how do you explain your ex-husband's fingerprints all over your condo, Captain? And I mean _all over_ : on the bed, in the bathroom, in your closet, hell, even on your goddamn hairbrush! Huh, Captain, care to explain?"

"I cannot explain that, but Jack hasn't been to the condo in over two years. Dammit, instead of focussing on my no-good ex-husband, you should be out there looking for the people who took Andy and Rusty!"

"I am only following my best lead, Captain."

"Do better!"

"Captain, I need to take your statement about your involvement with your ex-husband."

Sharon took a deep breath that turned into a squeal very unbecoming to a Captain of the LAPD.

"Now go and find Andy so he can knock some sense into that thick head of yours."

The old man looked at her, both hands pressed to her stomach, but her eyes firmly on his and decided that this one was a staring contest he wouldn't win.

"That is an order – go!"

* * *

Half an hour later Sharon was finally alone. She had managed to send Emily to get some food from her favourite take-away and was resting peacefully trying to wrap her mind around Jack's fingerprints in her condo. Some of them could be explained by earlier visits … but not in those places. After all, the last time he had been there had been years ago, just after her divorce and for all she knew, he'd passed out on the living room couch. Gosh, that was so long ago, before she had even allowed herself to admit just how deeply she felt for Andy – and now Andy was missing and she couldn't even look for him …

She looked up when she heard a knock on the door. A young doctor with strikingly blue eyes opened the door.

"Captain Raydor?"

"Oh, I'm just Sharon here." She felt a bit ridiculous to be addressed as Captain when she was lying prone in a hospital bed.

"Well, Sharon, I'm here to give you your medicines."

Something about the doctor struck her as odd even though she couldn't put her finger on it. He moved up to her bedside quickly and before she had even had time to protest, he had taken out a syringe.

"Stop." Her voice was quiet, but authoritative. "What is this?"

The young man smiled, "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe to take in your condition."

And then he stuck the syringe into her infusion and gave her a triumphant look.


	25. Chapter 25

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **25**

"It really is a small miracle that they let me stay," Gavin told Sharon, his arm protectively around her waist as they took small, careful steps down the hallway. She had been eager to get out of bed while the sheets were being changed to take a small walk inside the hospital building, but now she had to admit that fighting the fever had worn her body out. She felt heavy and was aching all over still. "I mean, after what happened, they would have been within their rights to put me out on my ass."

Sharon couldn't help but smile at the memory, as embarrassing as it had been. The doctor with the striking eyes had seemed strange to her with his disconcerting smile and creepily soft tones, so she had protested as he had inserted the unknown medication into her IV-line. For a moment, her instincts had taken over and she had screamed, terrified that he was somehow connected to Stroh and out to hurt her and her unborn child. Gavin had chosen that precise moment to walk in and to find her frightened in her bed with the mysterious doctor by her side, syringe still in hand.

Gavin was not a violent man. In fact, the way he had reacted had shown just how little he knew about fighting. Lunging at the man in the white lab coat like a football player, he had thrown him to the ground, causing him to bang his head on the side of the hospital bed. Down on the floor, some shuffling had gone on until the fight had been broken up by two other doctors who had informed them that the doctor in question was not an accomplice to anyone be it Stroh or any other villain as he was simply an intern with a bedside manner that left something to be desired. Apologies had been exchanged all around and Gavin had given the man his card, promising to take him out for a drink to make up for the black eye he was beginning to sport. Even as emotions were running high, Gavin never missed an opportunity to secure a date.

Sharon stopped in her tracks when the baby kicked her hard. She was still feeling so tender that it actually hurt. Gavin had stopped too and seemed to understand what was bothering her. Carefully placing his hand over her belly, he searched for the little foot and nudged it when it kicked again.

"Be nice to Mommy," he said. "She doesn't have it easy."

That was an understatement and it made tears well up in Sharon's eyes. "What if Rusty is dead? What if Andy is dead?" she asked tearfully. "They are as much my family as Ricky and Emily and I couldn't bear to lose any of them. Oh, Gavin. What if...?"

Gavin had long since run out of encouraging things to say and the comic relief his unnecessary fight with the intern had brought about was once again overshadowed by the reality of what was happening. You couldn't be upset perpetually, Sharon knew. The mind always recovered in between and then, when it all came back in a rush, one was hit even harder.

She leaned into Gavin's side more heavily as the familiar dizziness brought on by the treatment once again had her in its grip. Her head was swimming and she felt as if the floor was tilting beneath her feet. "Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick," Sharon murmured, already embarrassed by what she was sure was about to happen, but then, fortunately, the nausea passed as quickly as it had overcome her.

There was a comforting hand on her shoulder, that she thought probably belonged to a friendly hospital staffer who was going to help Gavin get her back to her room. Sharon was about to let him lead her away but then she froze. There was that familiar scent! Her breath caught in her throat. She lifted her head from where she had been pressing it against Gavin's upper arm in an attempt to shut out the world around her, still not daring to turn around and destroy the beautiful illusion.

"Hey, Sweetheart," a familiar voice said into her ear. "Take it easy, okay?"

"Andy?" she whispered, glad that the word was echoed by Gavin a moment later in a much firmer voice. She wasn't dreaming this time. Andy really was back. Before she could get her thoughts in order enough to ask where he had been, his arms were already around her, pulling her close. She burrowed her nose in his neck and brought her arms around him, too, holding him tightly.

"Where is Rusty?" she asked, still breathless. "Is he okay?"

As nice as it was to have his arms around her, she forced herself to draw back to look at him, her heart swelling at the sight of him despite the fear that was still very much present. He looked tired and scruffy, but otherwise unharmed.

"He is stuffing his face down in the cafeteria, but he is fine and he will come to see you after," Andy said, giving her a lopsided smile. He looked haggard, she noticed, his cheeks fallen and his clothes hanging on his frame.

"What happened, Andy?" she asked him, running her hand down his face, feeling the stubble of four days underneath her fingertips.

"It's a long story," Andy said vaguely. "How about we get you back to bed before we talk? Provenza told me what happened and I don't want you on your feet for too long."

Sharon was about to protest, but then decided that he was probably right. Her knees were shaking and she was feeling exhausted. Even though he looked quite scruffy himself, she became aware of the way her hair was matted and of how much she was in need of a shower.

It was as if Gavin had been reading her thoughts. "Looks like you and Andy can have your showers together." He wriggled his eyebrows unnecessarily.

Sharon let the two men help her back into her room in that agonizingly slow way that she had to walk in nowadays and sighed when she sat back down on the bed, Andy next to her and Gavin in a chair opposite them. She rested her head against Andy's shoulder and smelled chlorine. Suddenly alert, she remembered that there was something she had to tell him before anything else could be said.

"Andy, you said you'd spoken to Provenza. He probably told you that I had reconciled with Jack, that the baby wasn't yours. I want you to know that that is not true, okay?"

Gavin, who hadn't been present during that particular confrontation, lifted both brows in surprise, but Andy just waved it off.

"Don't worry, Sweetheart. I set him straight. I know that I'm Little Peach's father," Andy answered earnestly. Sharon exhaled softly when the baby kicked her hard at the sound of its father's voice. "Is she kicking you again?"

She put her hand over his as he caressed her stomach. This was not the moment to admit that her praised motherly intuition had once again been off and that they were having a boy instead of the girl she had been convinced she was carrying. She needed to know what had happened and she needed to know it now. (And she needed to postpone the merciless teasing she knew she was rightfully in for.)

"What happened, Andy? Where have you been?" she asked him instead, her hand on his chest to feel his beating heart. Her dream had been so real that she had been almost ready to believe that Andy was actually reaching out to her from beyond the grave. Of course it seemed ridiculous now. Like the fever-induced hallucination it had been. And she would never call any son of hers Angelo, that was for sure.

He looked hesitant and cupped her cheek. "Why don't you lie down for this? Telling you everything will take a while."

Sharon wrinkled her nose. "They just changed the sheets and I was drenched in sweat all night. I feel terrible. I need to take a shower before I get back in bed."

Andy's gaze swept over to Gavin and back. "Okay then," he said. "I'll tell you in the shower."

"Hey!" Gavin protested. "What about me? I want to know, too!"

Andy rolled his eyes. "You're definitely not welcome to join."

Gavin pouted. "As if Sharon hadn't told me absolutely everything about how you look naked." Andy's eyes darted towards Sharon, but she pretended not to notice. Taking a shower, with Andy no less, was a wonderful prospect and she couldn't help herself but long for it despite the fact that it meant keeping her trusted old friend waiting for the time being.

Ten minutes and several admonishments from Gavin later, they were in the shower together, holding each other as the water fell down upon them. Andy ran his hand through Sharon's slowly dampening hair and rested his chin on top of her head, wondering how to find the right words not to knock her right off her feet. She was leaning into him quite heavily and he could feel her abdominal muscles tense under his protective hand on the side of her stomach. She was in no condition to hear what he was about to tell her and yet he knew that he could not keep it from her forever.

"Andy." Her voice was heavy with exhaustion but no less commanding than usual. He knew that he could no longer sidestep the issue, so he cleared his throat.

"We were in the pool house up on your roof."

Her head shot up. "What? What were you doing in there? Why didn't anyone find you?"

"The roof was declared a crime scene after they had discovered that someone had meddled with the pipes. They found out when you were at Gavin's. The repair team only came back an hour ago when they discovered us. Before that, nobody could hear us and we didn't have our phones."

"You were trapped in the pool house for four days?" She was looking up at him incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

He couldn't remember ever having heard her swear before, but he did imagine that she would do it again the moment she was aware of the whole story.

"How on earth did you end up there?" she asked him. It was almost funny to see her completely naked with shampoo in her hair, glaring up at him with vigor.

"Well," Andy said, rolling his eyes to evade hers. "Well, we were in your living room when there was a knock on the door..."

Sharon's glare was instantly softened down to a worried gaze. "Stroh?" she asked breathlessly.

"Well, no," Andy replied. "I went to open the door and it was your ex-husband."

"Jack?" He felt Sharon hold on tighter to his middle. Afraid that she was tiring out too quickly, he began to gently rinse the shampoo out of her hair. He felt the baby kick where his stomach was pressed against hers. Sharon reacted to it with a soft moan. She really was in no state to hear about her ex-husband and his drunken shenanigans.

"He was drunk and he barged in, insisting that our baby was his. I told him to leave and shooed him out the door, but he was angry and, I am afraid, so drunk that he kept hammering against the door and ultimately kicked it down."

He wrapped Sharon in a big towel before he grabbed one for himself. She looked cute with the water dripping from her wet hair and the yellow towel barely providing enough fabric to wrap around her baby bump while she looked completely flabbergasted.

"How did Jack manage to get you both up to the pool house?" she asked him, accepting the smaller towel he handed her for her hair. "Does he have any superpowers I wasn't previously aware of?"

"Well, he walked through the whole condo, touching pretty much everything he could get his hands on. He seemed particularly fond of your hairbrush." Andy rolled his eyes at the memory. "After we'd been chasing him through the condo for about ten minutes he grabbed my car keys and ran out of the door. I should have been glad to see the back of him, but I needed my damn car keys to drive over to Gavin's and talk about that stupid thing with Rusty with you, so I followed him out and so did Rusty."

Sharon shook her head in disbelief, but didn't try to interject.

"Weirdly enough, he went up instead of down, so we ended up on the roof where he stumbled his way into the pool house where he skipped around on the wet tiles like a little kid. I swear I thought he'd fall and break his neck any time. At this point, I have to admit I wouldn't have been too sorry. But he still had my car keys and he was going on and on about how you had only ever loved him and how I was stupid to believe that our baby was mine, so we followed him in to get the goddamn keys and to shut him up and suddenly he pushed past us - cackling like a madman, I must add - and locked the door from the outside."

"Andy, I think I need to sit down," Sharon said feebly, so he put his arm around her waist and guided her out of the bathroom and towards her bed where Gavin had laid out a fresh pair of pajamas. Sharon put them on slowly and didn't protest when he helped her into bed and tucked her in. She was most probably in shock. Even though the bed was technically too narrow to fit two - especially if one was pregnant - he somehow managed to sit next to her to hold her. She buried her nose in his neck again, squeezing his hand.

"Andy, Jack has totally lost his mind, hasn't he? I mean, he did lock you in a pool house on purpose. What if you hadn't been found in time?"

"You know what, Sharon, he was so drunk, I am pretty sure he had no idea what he was doing and he probably doesn't remember any of it. I am sure he is in the interview room with Provenza right now, protesting his innocence."

Sharon groaned. "That moron! Emily's here. She is getting takeout right now, but she is going to be back soon. How am I going to explain this to her?"

Andy had decided on his way over that he needn't bother her with the details. He had given her only the bare bones of what had gone down. No need to mention Jack going after them with a hose, or detailing how they had hung around the pool house for almost four days bored, hungry, but - thank God - with water to drink from said hose. No need to let her know just yet how Jack had confessed to manipulating the pipes because he wanted to "give Andy the cold shower he needed" or how he had started belting out a horrifyingly bad rendition of "My Way" along the way. Jack had acted like a complete maniac and it made Andy wonder what Sharon had had to endure all those years ago when they had still been married and living together.

He wrapped his arm more tightly around Sharon's shoulders. "Rusty and I are fine now, Sweetheart. We are all safe. Now you have to get better, too, okay?"

"Okay," Sharon whispered against his neck, her arm coming possessively around his chest. "Just make sure this is kept quiet, okay? I don't want the entire LAPD to know what kind of scumbag I married."

Another swearword. Andy was intrigued.

"Hey, how about I ask Rusty to bring us something eat? I haven't eaten in days and I am sure you and our little baby girl could use some nutrition, too."

He furrowed his brow when she lifted her head and gave him a rueful smile. "Well, about that..."


	26. Chapter 26

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **By Miss Shannon & Glistening Sun**

 **26**

Sharon was about to confess how wrong her motherly intuition had been when the door opened and Rusty's head popped in.

"Mom?"

"Rusty, honey! Come here!"

Rusty had heard from Lieutenant Provenza about Sharon having been admitted to hospital and almost loosing the baby and the story about Andy not being Little Peaches' father and he was worried. When he finally laid eyes on his mom, he didn't think, his legs propelled him forward and he flung himself on her bed. Sharon was just as happy to see her son again opening her arms wide while all Andy could think of was the baby and how terribly weak Sharon had seemed just a few minutes ago. He saw Rusty flying towards her and instinctively put himself between the boy and his fiancée and unborn child, sending Rusty spinning to the floor with a loud thud. The little family was still looking at each other flabbergasted, Rusty too stunned to pick himself up, Sharon trying to figure out what exactly had just happened and Andy rubbing his aching shoulder when the door opened again.

"Another altercation in your room? What was it this time, Ms Raydor? I don't even see any interns here."

Sharon blushed and awkwardly shifted herself into a more upright position. The muscles in her abdomen contracted at the slightest exertion and she barely suppressed a groan, "Doctor, these are my son and my fiancé. They're back," she offered as though these words would explain the boy on the floor and the grey-haired man in her bed.

The doctor smiled and raised an eyebrow, "I guess every family celebrates a reunion a little differently. Are you injured, young man?"

Rusty only shook his head and Andy finally had the presence of mind to slip off the bed and help Rusty get up.

"And you, Ms Raydor? Any more contractions? I told you I would prefer you lying down and on your left side if at all possible. I'm not sure if we'll be able to stop labour again, particularly seeing how badly you reacted to the drugs the first time."

Rusty's and Andy's eyes both widened in horror and Sharon nodded, acquiescing. As soon as the doctor was out the door mumbling about patients that just seemed to attract the crazy, Sharon held out a hand to her son, "Rusty, honey, come here. Let me look at you." When Rusty took a step towards her she chuckled, "Gentle, honey, so my protector here won't feel the need to bodycheck you again." She tried giving Andy a stern look, but she couldn't be angry with him, not at this moment, they had all been through too much. And then Rusty was finally in her arms and she could ruffle his hair and feel him alive and well, "I missed you so much, honey. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

Andy smiled. Rusty was so much like Sharon. He sat down on the bed beside them, an arm sneaking around Sharon to support her and, hesitating at first, he wrapped his other arm around Rusty's shoulders and pulled the boy close. For a moment time stopped. Their little patchwork family was finally reunited and judging by the kicks even the youngest member recognised the importance of the moment.

"Rusty, I'm sorry that Jack put you through this."

"But it's not your fault, mom. The guy's crazy and … well, we're out now. I … he isn't really my little sister's father, is he? That was just Lieutenant Provenza being …"

"What the fuck? How can he talk to you about this? I swear, the old man has gone crazy now!"

"Rusty, Andy is his … eh, Andy is the little one's dad." Oh dear, it had almost slipped out! But this wasn't really the moment to reveal her baby's gender. Andy had to know first … well, and Sharon really didn't feel up to dealing with the ridicule of both her son and Andy at the same time. "Lieutenant Provenza misinterpreted the evidence at the …"

"Like hell he did! I swear the old man's got it coming."

"Andy, calm down. Can't you feel how you're aggravating Little Peach?" Sharon winced when a little foot hit that sore spot on her rib again. Rusty was right, the little one was reacting to her parents' distress. But he had never addressed Andy in such a way before. It seemed like their four days of captivity had changed something between them, too. She wondered what else she would discover.

Her hand found Andy's and she squeezed it tightly. "Honey, this little one is yours through and through, you know that, I know that and that's all that counts."

Andy huffed an annoyed breath and the baby kicked again. Gosh, if only she wasn't still so sore.

Then, after a few breaths that became deeper and deeper, she could finally feel him starting to relax, his body becoming slack and heavy. Thank God! She really didn't want to talk about her second in command and his antics now, she just wanted to curl up in Andy's arms and sleep. Soon enough Andy's free hand was moving over her belly, warm and familiar, his voice whispering soothing words to the baby. And of course his son listened to him and calmed down almost immediately.

"Oh my boys, I've missed you both so very much," she whispered into their embrace and felt her two big boys chuckling – while her smallest gave her a gentle kick.

/

It had taken all their powers of persuasion and the promise of homemade burgers from Patrice for both Rusty and Emily to leave their mother's side for the night. Andy would stay, there was no way Sharon wasn't sleeping in his arms tonight, but figuring out the logistics of sharing the rather narrow hospital bed had proved to be quite a challenge. Andy's suggestion to put up the railing had earned him an exasperated look. Hey, he was only trying to help. He resolved to do it anyway once she was asleep. Luckily, one of the doctors had taken pity on them and had found them one of those beds for overweight patients that gave them a little room. He had teased her about it, but one glare had silenced him.

Sharon hummed happily and closed her eyes when Andy ran his fingers through her hair like he'd been longing to do for so long. He watched her breathe in his scent and the smile on her face was positively angelic, particularly since she tried to hide what she was doing. There had been times during the past days when he had wondered whether he would ever get to hold her like that again, her cold feet squeezed between his calves and her breath warm against his neck. He smirked when his eyes caught sight of the small stuffed toy she held in one of her hands: Mr Owl. He was glad somebody had thought of getting him for her.

Andy was tired, but he didn't want to fall asleep just yet. Instead he watched Sharon, taking in the details of her features. God, he had missed her so much. He wanted to hold her and shield her from all the world had thrown at them recently and now that he'd seen for himself how unpredictable and dangerous her ex-husband could be, that desire had only increased. He had survived the four days in the poolhouse just fine, and Rusty would be okay, but to see what it had done to Sharon broke his heart – and it made him incredibly angry. It was only the knowledge what it would do to her that kept him from driving over to Jack's place and beating the man to a pulp.

Sharon must have been worried sick. She had been sparse with the details, just like he had been when talking about his abduction and captivity, but he could tell from the way she held herself and winced at even the slightest kick of the baby how sick she had been. Today she looked every single one of her fifty-one years, dark circles marring the skin underneath her eyes, her protruding belly almost grotesque in its size compared to her small frame. He chided himself for even thinking such a thing about her, but he felt incredibly guilty. Guilty that he had misjudged Jack, guilty about the arrangement he had made with Rusty that had led to their fight. God, they still needed to talk about that. He didn't see how she would let Rusty go now. He felt guilty when he saw how much pain she was in – and he almost felt guilty for having been so careless to knock her up in the first place. But he couldn't feel guilty for having created a child they both loved so much already.

He let his hands trail down her back and slipped them under her shirt feeling her shiver in response.

"Are you awake?" she whispered and sounded like she barely was. Andy hummed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "All I could think these last few days was that the last time we saw each other, I was angry with you. That was all I could think of – that the last words I said to you were so nasty and …"

"Sweetheart, you were upset, it's okay."

"No! It's not okay. That was all I could think about, that the last time we talked I was so angry with you for going behind my back with Rusty. You know, I couldn't sleep the night you were abducted and Gavin practically begged me to call you and ask you to come and I was so stubborn and decided a night apart would suit you right and … God, Andy, I didn't know if I would ever see you again and I didn't want your last memory of me to be that I hated you."

Andy swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. How could she even think that? "Sharon, listen. I could never think that you hate me. Okay? I understood you, you were upset and worried about Rusty and you felt blindsided. I did go behind your back, I know that, I meant well, but it would have been better to be upfront with you from the start. Sharon, I love you and I don't doubt what you feel for me. I know you, sweetheart, don't forget that."

"Rusty said you were screaming my name at night," she said and adjusted her head so she could look at him more directly, her gaze searching his.

"He told you that, uh?" The little rascal. They had had a lot of time to talk during their captivity, and most of it had been about Sharon. Rusty had promised him not to say anything that would upset her even more.

"In all fairness, I made him tell me."

Andy took a deep breath. That sounded more like it. "I dreamt of you," he admitted pulling her closer, "and sometimes I dreamt that he was coming for you."

She sighed, "I still can't believe the man I married did this. I feel like I should have known."

"Honey, no! None of this is your fault. If anything, I should have been more careful. The guy was drunk off his ass, I honestly didn't think he'd do much. He seemed harmless. I'm not even sure he knew he shut us in the poolhouse when he left. He was singing and dancing and serenading you."

"It's embarrassing." She broke their gaze and hid her face against his chest, but he still noticed the faint blush on her cheeks.

"Sharon, you are not responsible for Jack's actions, you never were and you're certainly not now. Rusty and I had too little to eat, but we're fine. We … we actually had some really good conversations.

She looked up at him again. "Yes, I noticed that your relationship seems … changed." She yawned so long and so intensely that Andy was afraid her jaw would become unhinged. When her mouth was finally closed again he pressed a warm kiss to her lips. "I think it's time for you to sleep now. Just rest, I'll be here and I'll hold you all night long." That she settled down without another word, snuggling into him with Mr Owl just under her chin, was sign enough of how exhausted she really was.

When Andy woke up again it was with a rush of panic. It took him a while to recognise that he was no longer in the poolhouse and that Sharon was sleeping safely in his arms. But something had woken him up. Then Sharon moved, mumbling something that sounded like 'forgive you'.

"Sweetheart, it's okay. I'm not angry with you," he said softly hoping she would settle down again, but she shuddered instead. "We don't even have a home for our family."

He wasn't sure whether she was actually awake, but he tightened his embrace, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Was it just him or was the skin burning? "Sweetheart, we have the condo and the water damage can be repaired, we've got my house, we have friends we can stay with."

"But the children," she whispered pitifully.

Was she awake or was she still dreaming? Andy couldn't decide, so he tried a logical and analytic response that should normally work. "Rusty and Emily are staying with Provenza. Ricky knows to call Julio or Provenza should Jack contact him. You're here, safe in my arms and our youngest one is sleeping. That's all we need to know for tonight."

"But I was angry with you."

Andy was starting to get worried now. This wasn't the way Sharon usually responded and now she was starting to shiver in his arms. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Achy and feverish."

That she would admit that so freely shocked him more than her actual words. How bad must she be feeling if she said it so directly? He dropped another kiss on her sweaty forehead and pulled the covers more tightly around them. He took a deep breath and hoped his voice was calm and soothing enough not to spook her. "Just close your eyes and rest. I'm going to call the doctor for something to take the edge of."

"Can't … pregnant," she whispered.


	27. Chapter 27

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **Chapter 27**

Andy saw the sun come up from the padded chair beside Sharon's bed, having been holding on to her cold hand for hours. As much as her face seemed to be radiating heat, her hands were as cold as ice. She was sleeping now and so was their baby, curled up under her other hand. The doctor had been by more than once, nurses kept checking on her vitals every few hours, but the fever just didn't break. Andy had barely eaten and he felt faint, the days in the pool house catching up with him now that adrenaline had been replaced with dread. He could beat up assailants and bodycheck people, but he couldn't protect her from this.

However, it seemed, there was someone who could. Doc Cottle made one of his brisk entrances into the hospital room, no matter that it had an only semi-conscious Sharon in it.

"Well, well," he said. „What do we have here." Andy rolled his eyes. Never had he liked the old quack any less.

"Don't you think you should start working on your bedside manner?" Andy snarled, his voice coming out tired and drained and definitely lacking its usual vigor despite the unspeakable anger that was flaring up inside him.

Cottle just lifted his brows, unfazed by the other man's aggressive behavior. „This isn't the first time this is happening. You should have called me sooner."

"I didn't call you at all!" Andy protested. "By the way, who did?"

"I asked Emily to," came the groggy voice from the bed and Andy whirled around from where he had walked to to confront Cottle.

"Sharon, honey!" He was by her side immediately, Cottle following at an infuriatingly stately pace. She struggled to sit up, but managed, her eyes red and her face even paler than he remembered. Little pink spots had started blossoming on her cheeks, standing stark against the almost white skin.

"Hi Doc, I am glad you could make it." Sharon smiled tiredly, her hand slowly caressing her stomach.

"Preeclampsia has been ruled out, I take it?" Sharon nodded, looking somewhat relieved for the matter-of-fact way her doctor was dealing with the situation.

"Good," Cottle continued. „Then it is just your crazy pregnancy fever again, I take it." He set his doctor's bag down on the bed next to Sharon's leg.

"Crazy pregnancy fever?" Andy gasped. „What the hell?"

"She had it with Emily, too, and with Ricky. Not as badly as this time, but then she wasn't as old then as she is now."

"How dare-" Andy began, but was cut off by Sharon.

"He is right, Andy," she said, the tone of warning unmistakable. "I feel just as ancient as he says I am. "With a satisfied nod, Cottle grabbed the duvet and pulled it away to reveal Sharon's calves.

"Not swollen, good sign," he said in those clipped tones of his. "Now we do the cold compresses thing again and it will work again and they will proclaim it a medical miracle again at this hospital, because all of their fancy new age medical school bogus didn't work and my grandma's good old remedy did."

Andy was spooked. He couldn't believe that Cottle would actually trust in such a mundane method when Sharon was seriously ill. The look in Sharon's eyes, however, told him not to interfere and then, he guessed, it couldn't hurt.

"Here, Andy, come and hold my hand for a bit," Sharon said softly, reaching out for him. He took her hand between both of his and pressed a soft kiss to it.

"We need to do something about our living-arrangements," Sharon said, clearly trying to dispel his concern by distracting him while Cottle was working on her legs, humming a tune under his breath. (Was it the Grey's Anatomy theme, Andy wondered - how peculiar.)

He decided to play along, hoping that engage in making plans would somehow help her focus. "What about renting something for a while?"

Sharon wrinkled her nose. Even sick like she was, she did not approve of living with someone else's furniture. "It would take a while to find something nice." While her voice was weak, she was focused and that was progress compared to earlier, when she had mumbled in her sleep and he hadn't been able to get any coherent response from her. "What about your place?"

Andy sighed. "Mine? I'm not sure that is an entirely too good idea."

Sharon ran her thumb over the back of his head. "I don't know what it is with you and your house. I have never even seen it."

"What?" Cottle called from the foot of the bed. "You let a man father your ridiculously-late-in-life-baby and move in with you up before you ever saw his place? Are you out of your mind? He could be a serial killer with throphies of his victims on display everywhere, woman. It has happened before."

"I doubt that," Sharon said dryly, then winced. "Why do these things always have to be so damn cold?"

"To bring your fever down, young lady," Cottle replied smartly. "If you don't like it, you should have picked another pregnancy quirk. Craving for pickles or high blood pressure like any other self-respecting pregnant woman. But, no, of course Sharon Raydor has to be special."

Andy decided to ignore the doctor on behalf of his own blood-pressure. "Honey, I can take you there once you're out of here. If you want to stay there, we can, but you probably won't want to, anyway."

He reached out and placed his hand on her stomach. Amidst all his worries, the baby kept up a schedule of very regular kicking, letting them know that it was okay. Sharon hummed when the baby kicked against his hand; it sounded painful. She gave him a reassuring smile and put her hand over his, looking into his eyes. It was weird how they could still smile at each other like two complete idiots after so many months of living together.

"Nice, nice, I am all done. I'll be down in the cafeteria trying not to choke on the motor oil they try to pass for coffee while reading today's paper and will return in an hour to change them. Try not to die until then, young lady and keep your man in check."

Without waiting for a retort from Andy, Cottle shuffled off. Burning his back by shooting angry looks at him didn't work as well as in the movies, so Andy focused back on Sharon.

"Do those compresses actually make you feel any better?" he asked, gently stroking her hair away from her face.

"As a matter of fact, they do," Sharon rasped, her eyes fluttering closed. "They did work when I had those fevers with my other two."

Andy rolled his eyes, safe in the knowledge that she couldn't see him with her eyes closed, slowly drifting off to sleep.

"Don't roll your eyes," she murmured sternly.

That woman.

/

" _This_ is your house?" Sharon turned towards Andy, her hair doing an elegant flip. It was in playful curls today that went well with her sundress that fell around her and left her legs bare. She looked beautiful and – most importantly – healthy. Her eyes were bright and alert, her face its usual shade of alabaster unlike the terrifying gray it had acquired in the hospital. As glad as Andy was that Cottle's words had come true, it did make him hate the doctor a little more than before.

Andy looked down at their interlaced fingers nervously, aware of how this had to look. When she didn't say anything else, he looked up, too, trying to see his house through her eyes. Provenza had been making fun of him because of it for decades now, claiming that it was a "girly house". Which it was, technically, as it had been his aunt's. The old lady had never married and had been a successful entrepreneur, which made it even less understandable that she had taken such a liking for her then useless alcoholic nephew and had bestowed upon him her beach house.

The house wasn't one of those flashy modern ones - Aunt Sally had never been one for those. When he had first seen it, it had seemed like a safe haven after his painful divorce and despite the fact that it was too big for him and that he had planned to move out and sell for a profit, somehow he had never gotten around to it. Maybe Provenza was right and he liked living like an old lady, but he had become comfortable there. The view was good – only semi-obstructed by the Hyatt Regency that was closer to the beach – and the house was built solid and now equipped with a new kitchen and a layer of new paint. The painting he had done back when he had been afraid to ask Sharon out on a date. He had looked for a project then to keep his mind off her, which hadn't worked at all. The pistacho green of one of the living room walls had reminded her of that dress she owned, the very pale, grayish blue of the bedroom had made him think of one particular shirt she never fully buttoned.

Now, mildly embarrassed by the fact, he wished that he had painted the exterior instead, as the wood was still the same touch of dusky pink. But then again, why waste any money just to appease Provenza? When did you ever really look at your own house from the outside?

"I told you it once belonged to my aunt." He scratched his neck and froze when he saw the look in her eyes. It was _that_ look. The one she always sported when she had just found a new blanket to buy to add to her already vast collection.

"Are you kidding? It's beautiful." She was almost giddy now, just short of clapping her hands. "Can we go inside?"

"Sure," he said and unlocked the door, glad that he had aired the place out the day before she had been released from the hospital. And he was also glad that he had finally gotten rid of the stacks of baseball magazines and knick-knacks he'd had lying around for ages. The place looked clean and tidy, which was always a plus.

Sharon walked across the dark hardwood flooring towards the open kitchen and living-room, admiring the view of the beach and – to be honest – of the back of that goddamn Hyatt Regency. Andy blinked against the bright sun, reaching for the switch for the blinds to cover the bay windows.

"Andy!" Sharon stopped him. "Leave it. The light is great. Why didn't you ever invite me over?"

There was a beat of silence before he spoke again.

"Provenza says it's a girly house," he admitted, looking at his shoes in embarrassment. "I never used to bring any women here."

Sharon hit his chest. "Seriously? Oh, you men. I love it."

"It makes for long commutes to work," Andy warned. "And St. Joseph's is a long way off as well." Sharon didn't seem to hear him as she ran her finger along the shiny surface of the breakfast bar and then surveyed the small array of family photos on the sideboard he had inherited from his aunt.

"You should have showed me earlier," she said. "we could have moved here when I was not as big as a house."

"You're not as big as a house," Andy protested, stepping behind her to wrap his arms around her. "In fact I should probably pop out to the store and get some groceries so I can make you some lunch."

Sharon clicked her tongue then turned around. "No, seriously, Andy. This house is beautiful and much bigger than my place. You always made it sound like such a dump, I wasn't expecting this at all. Why did you keep it from me?" She paused, rolling her eyes as only she could, her voice having dropped half an octave when she spoke again: "Surely, you didn't think I would break up with you because your house is pink?"

Andy avoided her gaze, but he knew that he couldn't get anything past her if she didn't want him to. "The bay windows, Sharon? The proximity to the beach? The quiet neighborhood? This house isn't safe when Stroh decides that it's time to rip our family apart once and for all. It is much safer for us to be up on the eleventh floor in your condo building. Easier to defend against intruders."

"So you pretended that your house was terrible and hoped that I would let it rest."

Andy contemplated the statement and then found it to be true. "Yeah." He shrugged.

"Fair enough," Sharon said, then turned around in his arms, her back against his chest. She rested her head against his shoulder and looked up at him. "I want it."

"Little Peach wants it too, it seems," Andy said sarcastically, as the baby shifted under his hands. "No wonder she likes a girly house."

Sharon remained suspiciously silent after that.

"Can you see the sea from your bedroom?" she asked after a prolonged moment of surprisingly awkward silence.

"Yes. As well as the agonizingly big Hyatt Regency."

"You must get over the Hyatt Regency," Sharon said sternly. "I'd like to see upstairs."

Upstairs, she was delighted to find enough room for Rusty, a nursery and a guest room, but a little less delighted to find boxes of old junk that he should have gotten rid ages ago in all three of those rooms. He did not try to explain to her that somehow his old VHS-collection of taped episodes of Baywatch had always had a special place in his heart. So did the bundled up issues of Time Magazine, but he couldn't quite remember why.

He was steadfast in his resolve to decline Sharon's wish to move here and put them all in danger in the process, but then she sat down on his bed and cradled her belly and looked thoroughly cute and a wave of deepest affection swept over him, making him wonder how he had ended up by the side of this magnificent woman and he gave in.

They spent half an hour cuddled together in his bed where he had spent so many nights thinking about her, making plans. Sharon was adamant that they needed a new couch as his was apparently hideous and the color of hers would clash with the pistachio walls. They would need a new bed as well, as his was too narrow in her opinion and her own had suffered quite a bit of water damage lately. In the end, he agreed to all of her demands. While her period was fortunately not an issue that came up a lot these days, his other least favorite topic of conversation was still interior design and he was more than happy to leave those decisions to her. Then he put his foot down when it came to new locks for the windows and an updated alarm system, but she didn't seem to care.

"You always get what you want," he told her, his arms firmly around her and her head resting on his chest, the baby falling asleep under their joined hands.

"You think?" she blinked up at him playfully. "By the way, I also got the replacement I wanted."

Andy knitted his brow. While Provenza would take over Major Crimes until Sharon would come back from maternity leave, they would still be one man (or woman – Sharon had once famously thrown a half-peeled carrot at him for phrasing it differently) short. Sharon had requested a particular person as her replacement, but had been extremely secretive about who it was.

"Promise me not to yell at me," she said sweetly, rubbing his chest soothingly. Andy frowned. He hadn't previously been aware that he needed soothing. This couldn't be good.

"Why would I yell at you, sweetheart?" he asked her, moving his leg between hers to cuddle her even closer.

He gave an unhappy growl when Sharon moved away from him and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. "Because Provenza already has."

She pulled up the message Provenza had left for her earlier and put the phone on speaker. Andy's eyes widened when he finally managed to make sense of what the old man was yelling about at the top of his lungs.

"Elliott?" he gasped. "Your little lapdog from the Rat Squad is supposed to join our department? Are you insane?!"


	28. Chapter 28

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **By Miss Shannon & Glistening Sun**

 **Chapter 28**

Sharon smiled back at him and placed a kiss to the side of his mouth as though he had just said something sweet rather than called her insane. She then proceeded to put her head back on his chest where it had been before she picked up the phone and cuddled into his side, humming happily.

"What, that's all? You can't be serious, Sharon!" Andy was aggravated. The kid from the rat squad! That was the worst choice. He'd rather have any one of those idiots from Robbery Homicide, hell, he'd make do with a goon from Traffic! How on earth where they supposed to work with Elliott when it had already taken them so long to break in Sharon? Not that it had taken very long, he'd been hopelessly in love with her after a few weeks, but that wasn't exactly an option for Elliott. And then he noticed that the woman in his arms hadn't even responded to his tirade and was instead reaching for his hand placing it on her belly, groaning as she moved to find a more comfortable position.

"Please tell me you did this to get back at Provenza and it's all just one big joke. You didn't really choose Elliott, did you?"

Andy waited for a reaction and when he didn't get one, he huffed as loudly as he could. That earned him a small chuckle and a kiss on the chest. It felt like she hugged him a little more tightly afterwards, pressing herself into him so he could feel the round outline of her belly. He huffed again, more quietly. This could have been a perfect afternoon: Sharon loved his house, they had a home again, she was lying in his arms, humming contentedly now – and she was carrying their baby. Life didn't get much better than that, he thought.

Except …. not an insignificant portion of his life took place at work. With the FID monkey.

"Elliott is FID through and through. I've dealt with him and he's the worst of the bunch! How can you possibly think that he's a good choice for Major Crimes? I sure understand why someone would want to get off the rat squad, I understand why you'd want to support him … but … you can't leave us alone with him!" The mental image of having to work with Elliott day in day out without her there were enough to make him start thinking really hard how to change her mind. He went quiet for a moment desperately searching for a way out.

Sharon's breath had already evened out the way it did just before she was falling asleep, when he shook her from her peaceful slumber. "Maybe … maybe when you're back, he can do a rotation with us! Then _you_ can train him, and not Provenza. He's going to learn so much more from you, Sharon! Now, isn't that much better?" Andy was very proud of his flash of genius. If Sharon had decided the guy should work in Major Crimes, she wouldn't let it go, but at least this way _she_ could deal with him. It might even work to his advantage, Andy realised. The young officer worshipped the ground Sharon walked on – much like he himself, although he refused to admit that parallel. Elliott would be perfect to keep an eye on her while the team was in the field. He could make sure she ate and drank – and went home in time. Hell, her little lapdog might even prove useful for something!

Sharon yawned and let her fingers trail over his chest and until they found their way back to his hand.

"Isn't that a great idea? Come on, Sharon, you've got to give me that!"

"Andy, honey," she said sleepily and with a hint of amusement, "I'm really not the right person to talk to. I'm officially on maternity leave. I'm just your fiancée now who happens to be about fifty months pregnant. I want to be held, I want to be cherished, I want you to rub my back and tell me you love me."

"I do, but my idea …"

"No buts. If you want to fight with me, we can do that over the colour of the couch or where we'll put the crib, not about work."

"I don't want to fight with you."

"Good." She snuggled more deeply into his arms if that was even possible.

"Sharon, sweetheart, please."

"Take it up with your head of department," she mumbled against his chest.

"But that's Provenza and he doesn't agree with your decision either!"

"Then take it up the chain of command." Sharon pushed herself up and looked at him in that way that always made his heart melt and he couldn't not lean in and kiss her. She hummed approvingly and he pulled her more tightly against himself, laughing when Little Peach protested the sudden movement with a small kick.

"Woman, how do you always get your way? I'm gonna have my hands full if our little girl is even the slightest bit like her Momma."

Sharon stiffened in his arms. "About that," she started off, but he kissed her soundly. "No need to explain yourself. I love you just the way you are. You and our little girl both."

"Andy …" her voice was hesitant and had taken on a particular quality he had hardly ever heard before. Concerned, he shifted so he could look at her again and place a tender hand on her cheek. Her eyes were dark, but there was something else in them.

"What is it, sweetheart? Are you worried about our little one?" he prompted and gently kissed her forehead. He was surprised to see tears spring to her eyes. Where had those suddenly come from?

"Would … would you be terribly disappointed if we had a little boy?"

"That's what has you so worried? Sweetheart, I have complete trust in your motherly intuition. Next year you're going to give birth to our beautiful baby girl – and the old man will have to swallow his words."

Sharon pulled back, her heart suddenly beating more quickly. "Provenza? What did he tell you?"

"He's finally accepted that you're actually pregnant and now he's got it in his head that we're having a son! Can you believe it?" He couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

"It wasn't his place to tell you!"

"Not like I listen to him. Don't worry, he's just trying to rile us up." Andy saw the dark look on her face, but it was only there for a moment, so he chalked it up to her general ire with the Lieutenant's behaviour over the past month and the message he had just left on her phone in particular. He kissed her again, longer and with more fervour this time and when she responded in kind, everything else was soon forgotten.

/

The lights of the tree were sparkling and Sharon could detect the faint aroma of pine mixing with that of the ocean coming in through the open door, the gentle wind playing with her curtains. She was grateful the smell of paint was gone, and more grateful still that her son had finally fallen asleep. It seemed that the little one had been particularly restless today after she had let another chance go by at breakfast to tell his father about him. When Andy had bent down and kissed 'his little girl' goodbye, the little boy had kicked his mother's bladder so hard she had nearly wet herself.

While they still had to do the bulk of their move, Andy and Rusty had managed to get her clothes and, more importantly, her Christmas decorations over to the house. Andy's old bed, although small, was actually quite perfect for snuggling up closely as she liked to do and with any look their new bed would arrive before she got too big.

Now Sharon was resting on their brand new couch that had only been delivered the day before. It had been the right choice, she thought as she stretched and yawned, it was so much more comfortable than her old one. All she need now was Andy. He had hardly been home last night and she missed him badly. She turned onto her back and then onto her other side before her son could notice the lack of space and start kicking her. The manoeuver successfully accomplished she sighed and looked through the open doors towards the beach. She was daydreaming about their son's first toothless smile, his little voice calling Andy Daddy, small feet taking their first steps on the beautiful dark floor. She would buy furniture for the deck outside, and Andy would build a swing and a sandbox. Gosh, she really could picture living here with her little family!

When the unfamiliar sound of the doorbell startled her out of her slumber, it took her a few seconds to get her bearings before she recognised the voice of her favourite lawyer.

"Sharon Elisabeth Raydor, I know you are in there and you won't believe the surprise I have for you and my little goddaughter!"

"Cut the old pregnant lady some slack, will you?" she muttered as she made her way to the door still a little wobbly on her legs. Luckily Gavin pulled her into their customary hug and kept his arm around her waist afterwards looking her up and down. Sharon ignored his inquisitive stare and instead tried to peek over his shoulder. The amount of bags and boxes astounded her – even for Gavin. She noticed the Cheshire cat grin on her best friend's face and only shook her head. "I hope you don't expect my help carrying all that inside. Geez, Gavin, what have you been up to?"

He let go of her and sized her up again. "Gosh, you do look rather like a Christmas present yourself if I may say so!" Sharon laughed. She had thought the same thing when Andy had tied the bow of her wrap-around dress right over her stomach that morning. "How is my future goddaughter?"

"Your _godson_ is finally asleep."

"Was your Lieutenant exited to hear he'll be having a son?"

Sharon pulled her lower lip into her mouth and chewed on it, her eyes unable to meet Gavin's.

"You still haven't told him? Sharon, seriously! How hard can it be?"

Sharon frowned and rubbed her aching back, but that didn't fly with her best friend.

"You know, those bottles of champagne were finished a awful lot more quickly than I thought. And you know how my tongue gets when it's all dry …"

"Do you realise that constitutes blackmail? That's a criminal offense! And it's not like I haven't tried to tell him, but he's so excited about his little girl – I just don't have the heart …"

"How hard can it be? Hey baby, when I was in hospital they did this thing called an ultrasound and guess what – it's a boy!"

"Gavin!" she groaned, her discomfort no longer just coming from her painful back.

"Okay, you wouldn't call him babe, would you? You'd say something old fashioned like my dear or my love." Sharon rolled her eyes – she remembered the expression on Andy's face when she had first called him 'dear' only too well.

"You have no right to tell me how to talk to the father of my child. Until you grow a uterus and become pregnant…"

"That hurt - how could you be so thoughtless!" He grabbed his chest in an elaborate display of mock pain.

"Oh Gavin, cut it out! It's just not as easy as you think. Andy is so excited to have a daughter. In fact, Provenza already told him I'm having a boy and he didn't even believe him!"

"Well, Sharon dearest, if it's going to be a girl then you are in luck, because Uncle Gavin has found just _the_ most adorable designs for his little princesses' room." He rummaged around a few of the bags and pulled out a wad of sparkling pink fabric. "Isn't this the cutest thing? I was going to go for Hello Kitty, but then I saw this. There's a choice between unicorns and ballerinas and look, there's matching wallpaper, curtains and here, my absolute favourite, matching PJs for Mom and Dad!" Gavin leaned back beaming proudly, "What do you say, my dearest? Shall I tell him or will you?"

A key turned in the door and Sharon was about to breathe a sigh of relief that turned into a panic when Andy walked through the door.

"Lieutenant, how lovely of you to join us. Come here, we're looking at decorating your little girl's room! How about this?" Gavin flashed the dancing ballerinas in front of the Lieutenant who was slightly distracted by his girlfriend pulling on his shirt. Misinterpreting her he pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed first her, then her stomach. Then he turned his attention back to the pink dream spread out on his coffee table that not so long ago had been covered in sports magazines. The frown on his face slowly turned into a wide smile. "Ballerinas! And look at those tiny shoes, Sharon! How cute. What a perfect choice with all the dancers in our family - and it goes with your pictures, too!" Sharon couldn't believe her ears. Andy taking an interest in something that clearly counted as interior design? And at the one moment she would have wanted him to be oblivious? She hid her face in her hands barely supressing a desperate groan.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Andy's concern was immediate, one hand on her shoulder the other automatically finding its way to her belly where their son was reacting to his mother's aggravation with a few hard kicks. Sharon felt even more guilty when he began whispering soothing words to the baby, calling her Daddy's little girl. She had been lucky enough that he hadn't believed Provenza, but she knew how hurt - and angry – he'd be if he had to find out from Gavin. She had to tell him, but first she had to get rid of her friend who was gesturing wildly behind Andy's back.

"It's just been a long day, and it's getting a bit chilly in here," she lied in her sweetest voice, "maybe you could get me my new blanket from the nursery, honey."

She didn't feel cold to Andy. If anything, her face seemed rather flushed and there were at least four perfectly fine blankets on the couch. "Please," she begged him squeezing his hand. With a little chuckle Andy pushed himself off the couch. It was just a tad adorable that she would want that particular blanket he had brought home only yesterday. It was covered in small peaches and meant for their daughter's crib, but Sharon had taken an immediate liking to it going as far as sleeping with it last night - which made it even stranger that she would keep in the nursery which was still just an empty room.

The moment they were alone Sharon turned towards Gavin, "Stop encouraging him!"

"Tell him you're carrying a boy," he challenged her with obvious glee.

"I will. It's just not as easy as you think."

"Fact is, I know something your gentleman friend there doesn't know and I'm sure you'd rather tell him yourself!"

"Gav, please!"

Edged on by the desperation in her voice Gavin lifted up in his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "My conditions for playing along with your little charade haven't changed – not much anyway."

She huffed, "Taking advantage of your pregnant friend is considered bad manners!"

"Well, then let me offer you a deal. You'll get me a case of my favourite champagne for my Christmas Party…" Sharon was about to agree when Gavin raised one finger. "Not so fast, my dear. One case for Christmas and then another one for my New Year's Party which you'll be attending wearing that dark red dress."

"Gavin! The dress was never part of the deal!"

With a nod the lawyer indicated Andy who was coming back to them with empty hands.

"Okay, deal, champagne and your New Year's Party … in the red dress if I can still fit into it," Sharon hissed under her breath.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, I couldn't find the blanket."

"Maybe I left it in the bedroom? Gosh, this pregnancy brain is starting to do me in!" Sharon rubbed her belly and looked up at him sweetly, knowing Andy wouldn't be able to turn down her request then.

He gave her a sloppy salute. "You wish is my command."

When Andy came back, Sharon had just said goodbye to Gavin. She let him wrap the blanket around her shoulders and leaned into his body hiding her face against his neck while she tried to find the right moment to tell him about their son.

"I think we need to talk," Andy said seriously, oblivious to his fiancée's inner struggle. He immediately regretted his tone of voice when he felt her go rigid.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you, it's just … please don't take this the wrong way. I love the little ballerinas and unicorns and I'm all for decorating the nursery the way you like … but … darn, I hoped that I would never have to say this."

He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the worst. "You're pregnant and your hormones are out of whack and … well, the Sharon I know, the non-pregnant Sharon … I just really don't see her wearing matching ballerina and unicorn PJs!"

It was out. Andy sighed in relief - and Sharon squeaked and snorted so loudly it took him a while to understand she was actually laughing.

Women. He'd never understand them – and Sharon least of all.


	29. Chapter 29

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **Chapter 29**

"Oh... no... Andy, be careful there! Please!" Sharon gasped.

"That's probably what she said when you got yourself into _that_!" Provenza quipped, pointing at Sharon's stomach in passing. The mere fact that he actually had one of his hands free was ridiculous as he was supposed to be helping with the move. In Andy's opinion, carrying one of Sharon's orchids did not exactly count.

So he rolled his eyes, both at his partner and at his future wife. It was not that he wanted her to actually carry anything, that had been out of the question for him from the start. It was just that years of being the only adult in the household and then years of living on her own had made her quite adamant about what went where and how to do things. Truth be told, it was a bit of a nightmare. Much like it had been back in the day when she had forced everyone around her to comply with each and every one of her little FID rules.

He nervously shifted the spindle-legged table he had been wrestling into the hall in an attempt to glare at Sharon over the top of it. Who cared if he dented the wall a little? But of course, Sharon had a different idea about that. She liked her home spotless.

"It goes in the living room, right?" he panted exaggeratedly to let her know that she was holding him up there.

"Yes. By the window. Thank you, honey." She touched his shoulder gently as he passed her.

Damn her for being so sweet after being so demanding. He was never able to be angry with her for long. Provenza was a different story as he practically skipped past Andy on his way back to the moving truck, about to pick up another orchid or maybe a light pillow, no doubt. Andy exhaled with relief when he set the table down in its designated spot. He had to admit that Sharon's furniture went well with his house and made it both more stylish and more homey. He was sure that his old aunt would have approved.

He couldn't help but grin when Rusty walked in, arms straining around a box that was labeled "Easter Decorations".

"Oh, honey, careful with that!" Sharon said, rubbing his shoulder as he set the box down in the middle of the living room where it clearly didn't belong. "Is your shoulder okay?"

Rusty looked a little annoyed at his mother's concern and just shrugged. "Yeah, I'm good, Mom."

Sharon came over and placed a kiss to Andy's sweaty temple. She grimaced and wiped her mouth. "Would you be a dear and get those decorations down to the basement?"

Andy huffed, fed up with holidays for the moment. Christmas had been spent at Nicole's house, as they had been wanting to put the move off until after the holidays. On the one hand, they had been more relaxed than usual with not being the ones responsible for making dinner for once, and on the other hand, Nicole's step sons had refused to make Christmas the quiet affair it had been supposed to be. Late in her seventh month of pregnancy, Sharon had spent most of the evening lounging comfortably on the couch, enjoying her favorite holiday.

"Later. I need some water. What about you, Rusty? Sharon?" Both nodded, so Andy went over to the fridge and passed out drinks just as Provenza entered, predictably carrying nothing more than a fragile lamp that Andy would have even allowed Sharon to take on.

"Uh," Sharon said, pressing both hands to her stomach. "that hurt."

"Little guy is just as clumsy as his dad," Provenza snarled, earning a long look that reminded Andy of the ones Sharon had started giving Gavin lately. He was yet to find out what that was about.

Andy moved to stand behind Sharon and placed his hands on both sides of her belly nuzzling her neck. She squealed a little as his damp shirt made contact with her back. It was easy for her to look and smell so clean and fresh when she had done nothing but give orders all morning.

"Are you subtly trying to tell me that you don't love me as much when I am all grimy?" he asked her, exerting some gentle pressure of his hand against their stretching baby. Sharon turned her head and smiled pressing her lips to his chin and closing her fingers around his.

"That is not what I am doing, honey, but you do smell a little unpleasant at the present time." Andy growled and stepped away from her just in time to see a young man carrying in two moving boxes at once with a lot less effort than semed humanly possible. When he set them down by the empty shelves by the window where Andy had made space for Sharon's books, he couldn't help but be impressed that he had managed that weight.

Sharon clapped her hands at the sight of him.

"Oh, hi Thomas! You should have said hello before you started carrying things!" she exclaimed brightly, walking over to the new arrival to hug him. His arms went around her, holding her carefully as if he was afraid that he would hurt her if he squezed her too hard. He didn't seem to mind her hair in his face at all. Andy snorted.

When they came apart after what seemed like an inappropriately long time to Andy, the young man smiled, his sandy blond hair catching the afternoon sun and the shape of his stomach muscles discernible even through the fabric of his shirt the color of which – of course – matched his bright blue eyes.

Sergeant Lap Dog Elliott. The mean nickname seemed too tame now that the guy had the guts to walk right into his living room and hold his fiancée like that, Andy thought.

"It's no trouble, at all, Captain!" Thomas Elliott insisted, shrugging his broad shoulders, his hand still resting on Sharon's upper arm.

Sharon smiled at him and cocked her head in that special way of hers. "I told you that it's Sharon now, Thomas."

"Oh, yeah." He touched the back of his neck nervously, thereby revealing the perfect muscles of his left arm. Andy caught sight of Rusty leaning his head to the side to get a better view, his eyes slightly glazed over. "Sorry... Sharon. I guess I still need to get used to calling you that."

She smiled again, placing her hand on his arm as she ushered him towards Andy and Rusty. Rusty stood up taller while Andy folded his arms in front of his chest in hopes of making his own biceps look a little more impressive.

"This is my son Rusty." She gestured towards him who laughed nervously and shook Elliott's hand, obviously completely smitten. "And you know Andy Flynn, of course."

"Of course," Elliott grinned. "We haven't been seeing a lot of you around lately, Lieutenant."

Andy growled and refused to move his arms to shake the other man's hand. During her FID days, it had been a running joke in the department how the Wicked Witch always got the most attractive young officers to work for her. Now suddenly he didn't think it so funny anymore. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sharon furtively rolling her eyes.

"I didn't know you had invited him," Andy said, unable to keep the accusing tone out of his tone.

"Invited?" Sharon laughed. "You're making it sound as if this was a party, Andy. Thomas graciously offered to help with the move today."

"Meh," Andy said, before he could contain himself. He sounded like an internet meme.

"There is a sideboard out there that looks heavy. I'm going to go and see whether I can help with that." Elliott touched Sharon's shoulder again on the way out, making Andy's hand twitch with the urge to reach for the book on the coffee table and throw it after him.

"Yeah! Sideboard!" Rusty shouted, making everyone wince, as he suddenly jolted out of his awestruck stupor to run after the other man.

"Andy," Sharon said sternly as soon as they were alone. "Don't you dare be unkind to Sergeant Elliott."

"It is enough that I will have him around at work all the time come Monday," Andy complained. "I don't need this walking advertisement for steroids inside my house!"

Sharon rolled her eyes again and started walking towards the kitchen. "If that is so, you should have asked someone more helpful than Provenza to help with the move. At this rate, it would have taken days just to unload the truck!"

Andy huffed, refusing to acknowledge that she was right. "And your superhero out there is going to speed things up, right?"

"Um, yes." Sharon said decisively. "You have no reason to be mean to him."

"Other than that he is a part of the rat squad!"

Sharon turned around to face him rather quickly. "Just like I was for most of my career!"

"Duh," Andy said, out of valid arguments already.

Sharon shook her head in disbelief. "This is discrimination. Are you aware of that?"

"Discrimination?" Andy echoed, his jealousy making him raise his voice. "What are you going to do? Send me to a sensitivity course because I offended your favorite little ex-minion?"

Now it was her turn to cross her arms in front of her chest. He couldn't help but notice the way it made her cleavage look in the tight tank top she was wearing.

"You're lucky I am on maternity leave or I would do just that," she said and marched out of the room where raised voices could be heard. It sounded a lot as if Provenza was arguing with Elliott and Andy couldn't hide his satisfied little grin.

Then his phone rang.

/

Andy unlocked the front door, feeling more tired than he had in a long time and in dire need of a shower. The call had come in just in time to prevent a major blow-out between Provenza and Elliott who had had the ill grace to ask Provenza to help him carry the sideboard. A man had been found murdered in the mayor's garden, which had required their immediate presence. Now it was three in the morning and Taylor had sent them home to get some rest. Fully expecting to bump into a box or a stray piece of furniture, Andy crept through the dark hallway towards the light switch. When he used it, his eyebrows flew up in surprise.

There were no stray objects to speak of. In fact, the hallway and what he could see of the living room looked more tidy and put together than ever before. He strolled into the living room and found everything in its designated place, even Sharon's current favorite blanket folded neatly on the sofa.

His mind set on his shower, he climbed the stairs and walked right into the bathroom to wash off the sweat from the move and the smell of the crime scene. Dressed in a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt and feeling much better, he went into the bedroom to find Sharon fast asleep. He had almost forgotten their stupid little fight anyway, but the sight of her made him let go of the last remaining bit of irritation almost immediately. She was curled on her side, one hand under her cheek, the other on top of her belly. One foot was sticking out of the covers, her ankle showing a hint of her favorite pair of silk pajamas while her shoulder was bare, so he knew she must be wearing one of those tight cotton tops he was so fond of.

The night was cool and the window was open, so she shifted with a little groan when he lifted the covers to climb into bed behind her. Her head turned towards him and she pressed her nose into the crook of his neck for a moment.

"What time is it?" she murmured sleepily then sighed when he slid his hand onto her stomach.

"Three a.m.," he responded, leaning down to kiss her neck and inhale her scent. She must have taken a shower before bed, because her hair was still damp. Inching closer to her, he exerted a gentle pressure against her stomach with his flat hand.

Sharon hummed in protest. "Don't wake him up, Andy. He just fell asleep."

Andy frowned.

"He? Has Provenza finally gotten to you?" he asked in amusement. She was known to say the weirdest things when woken up in the middle of the night. Once she had suggested getting a dog and naming him Hermann. The next morning she had fiercely denied that it had ever happened.

Sharon froze for a moment, then turned her head and smiled at him through the darkness. "Would it be that bad?"

He kissed her, delighted to find her responding softly but eagerly, her fingers wrapped around his to keep his hand away from her stomach. Settling down behind her, he moved her hair out of the way and aligned his body with hers. She hummed happily and he felt her smile against his cheek. Sharon carefully placed his hand against the side of her belly, covering it with hers to keep it from wandering.

"No waking the baby up, honey, I'm serious," she whispered, lying very still.

He chuckled despite the fact that his exhaustion was already falling over him like a heavy blanket, drawing him down into the deep waters of sleep.

"My poor little punching bag," he murmured. "We ought to teach that kid some manners."

It took his sleep-ridden brain a moment to make out what she was saying in response but then he realized what she had just whispered: _Boys!_

His fatigue disappeared for a moment as it registered with him. She turned around on her back carefully to be able to look at him through the darkness. In the pale light of the full moon that filtered in through the window, he could see the quiet anguish in her eyes. She seemed anxious to get something over with.

"I've been meaning to tell you this for a while now," she began, hesitating but then visibly urging herself to go on. "When you were in that pool house and I was at the hospital, the attending physician didn't take into account that I might not know the gender of our child given all the tests that Doc Cottle had run, so he just referred to the baby as a 'he'."

For a moment, Andy didn't know what to say, so he just stared at her, his mouth hanging open.

"You were so happy that we were having a little girl and I had been so convinced that we would, too." Even in the darkness he could tell that she was blushing furiously. "I didn't have the heart to tell you."

"But you told Provenza?" he asked, saying the first thing that came into his mind. He hadn't yet decided whether to be angry about this or not.

"I had a fever and I was so afraid that I'd never see you again, so I told him that you were right thinking that it might be a boy," she admitted. "I didn't think he'd use it against me."

Despite his bewilderment, Andy grinned. "It's Provenza. He would always use anything against you!"

She sighed. "True."

For a moment he just looked at her on her back like that, her hair spread out on the pillow in wild, half-dried waves that looked almost black in the darkness, her skin so pale in contrast and her eyes dark pools of green, intently looking at him to gauge his reaction.

He gently slipped his hand under her top and bent down to place a soft kiss just above her belly button.

"A son then," he said matter-of-factly. "I am glad Little Peach is gender neutral."

He felt the tension leave her and settled back down next to her, his hand splayed over her belly.

"I was worried that you'd be mad," she said. "I should have told you sooner."

"You should have." He pecked her lips and gave her a devious smile when he pulled back to look at her again. "Because now you owe me."

"Uh-oh," she said. "What have I gotten myself into?"

"Indeed," he agreed. "I get to choose the style of the nursery. It's the least you can do for me."

He enjoyed seeing her cringe at the prospect. In the end, he'd get tired of picking a shade of paint or deciding the furniture and she would take over, but he liked seeing her fidget, thinking that he was serious.

"I'm thinking Dodgers blue all the way!" he announced, almost laughing out loud when he saw the look on her face. "The walls _and_ the furniture."

Sharon groaned. "Don't shock me into labor in the middle of the night!"

He pulled her against him and laughed into her hair.

"Now about your famed motherly intuition..."

"I don't want to hear it," Sharon begged. "Please! This is also why I haven't told anyone." She pouted. "All the teasing is not good for me in my condition."

Andy rolled his eyes as she stuck out her lower lip in an attempt to be cute.

"Says the woman who had to be bullied into taking early maternity leave. I am not buying it, Sharon, and the teasing shall go on until he is in college." He smiled as he said it, the whole reality of their having a son just sinking in now. He was a little sad to have to say farewell to the life with a little daughter he had envisioned, but he found himself just as excited at the prospect of raising a son with Sharon.

"That also means no ballerinas and matching pajamas for us," he said, referring to Gavin's set-up. Sharon groaned.

"He's been blackmailing me, can you imagine? He was at the hospital as well, so he knows, and he's been threatening to tell you if I didn't provide him with a never-ending supply of champagne."

"Really?" Andy asked, half-amused, half-annoyed by the other man's treatment of Sharon. He pressed his lips against Sharon's temple. "Let's think about how we can get back at him in the morning."

He felt Sharon's laughter more than he heard it as her back vibrated against his chest.

"He so has it coming!"


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Really!

* * *

 **While You're Making Other Plans – Special Fangirl Edition**

 **By Miss Shannon and Glistening Sun**

 **Chapter 30**

While Andy watched the sun slowly set over the ocean her breaths were becoming more regular and her body was becoming heavy with sleep. He gently ran his hand over her stomach, careful not to wake their son who had been kicking her all afternoon. He could tell that being pregnant was hard on her now. She had tried to cover it well over the holidays and even during the move, but today she had spent all day curled up in his arms, dozing whenever the Little Peach would allow it. He pulled her favourite blanket up so it rested around her shoulders and closed his eyes. She was right in getting all the rest she could now – in a few weeks they would have a newborn and if his memory served him right, there wouldn't be much time for anything else then.

He silently cursed his phone when it rang. Trying to reach for it and pick it up before it woke her while at the same time trying not to jostle her proofed to be an impossible task. In the end, he nearly dropped the phone and Sharon was stirring and groaning. Dammit!

Sharon found herself roughly jostled awake. Too tired to move from Andy and mindful not to wake her sleeping baby, she snuggled back into his embrace once he had picked up the phone and pulled the blanket over her head. She would just lie here and wait it out, Andy couldn't be on the phone forever and with any luck, her little football player would behave. Half asleep she listened to the familiar deep voice without paying too much attention. Something about a case, but it sounded like one of Taylor's political decisions more than a real case for Major Crimes. She sighed content that she no longer had to deal with the politics of the job. Andy chuckled and his chest vibrated under her. She thought she could hear Provenza corresponding chuckle on the other side of the line.

Andy hung up the phone and almost immediately the blanket lifted from Sharon's face, her green eyes looking up at him.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," he said, softly touching her cheek. "You okay there, my love?"

"He's still asleep. Just … don't move."

"Not planning to."

Her eyes feel close and she hummed contently. She had almost dozed off to the gentle movement of his fingers in her hair before it occurred to her what had been so odd about the phonecall. "Andy, if Taylor has given a case to our division, why aren't you rolling out along with everyone else?"

"They don't need me."

That alone was unusual and there was something in his voice that made her suspicious. It wasn't like him not to join his team. Something was off. She craned her neck to look at him – and the moment their eyes connected Andy knew he didn't stand a chance. She looked right through him and the words simply spilled out. "It's one of those idiots from that stupid cop show. Got herself lost, no doubt after a night of drugs and drinking and God knows what else. She'll be home again in no time and this will all have been for nothing. Hell, I'm a police officer, not some babysitter for stupid VIPs!"

"Stupid cop show? You mean Badge of Justice?"

"At least you aren't calling it Mike's show," Andy muttered with as much disgust as he could muster. "I'm needed here at home with my fiancée and our son, not out there chasing after some stupid…"

Sharon opened her mouth to interrupt him, but he pressed a kiss to her lips before she could say anything.

"Ssh, sweetheart," he whispered into their kiss, "you being alone isn't good for your blood pressure and me dealing with that ridiculous show sure isn't got for mine. Don't you have trust in the team?"

Sharon was almost tempted to give in to his gentle ministrations, but she couldn't let this slide. "Andy, this has nothing to do with trust in the team. You have sworn an oath as an officer…"

"And when I asked you to marry me, I swore that I would look after you."

"I don't need looking after," she protested with a soft voice, "Honey, I'm pregnant, but I'm comfortably settled at home with a fridge full of food, plenty of phone numbers for take-out should I fancy it and Rusty due back in a couple of hours. As much as your concern and your caveman-like protectiveness flatter me, you are using me as an excuse. Now, go be a good policeman. Get dressed and join your squad. If it's as clear-cut a case as you say it is, you'll be back in no time."

"I don't want to go, I want to stay," he pouted.

"And I want to be 30 pounds lighter! Sometimes we just don't have a choice. Now go! Seriously, Andy, what kind of behaviour is this?"

"I'm only going because my Captain is ordering me to go to a crime scene, but I don't like it!"

"Now you've gone and woken up the baby! I don't like that either! Now go, get out of my sight!" Which was easier said than done because in order for Andy go to into work, he had to get up first. He gently extracted his body from underneath hers and leant down to kiss her goodbye trying to make the kiss last as long as he could. Then he took his time getting dressed while he listened to her trying to convince their son to go back to sleep.

"You know, sweetheart, I could always sing him his lullaby."

"Oh hush! Go to work!"

Once she had heard Andy's car drive away, Sharon got out of bed with a loud groan. Without Andy there to sing to the little one, walking was her best bet to get him to calm down – and it might just help with her sore back, too. She picked her way down the stairs one by one grateful for the strong banister and crossed her new living room with a sense of pride. Everything was in its place just the way she like it. There was a free space she could see from the kitchen as well as the sofa – that's where the wicker bassinet would go. Outside, she took a breath of the salty air and spread out her yoga mat to do a few gentle exercises and stretches before swimming a couple of lengths in the pool.

/

Andy's animosity towards anything Badge of Justice was quite amusing and she had been very closing to just letting him stay with her. It would have been so nice to fall asleep in his arms rather than submit herself to another round of kicking from her son. She already missed him and he hadn't even been gone for an hour. But she also knew that once the baby was born they would be grateful for every time Andy wouldn't have to roll out. They would need the goodwill of the team then, not now.

When she heard the key in the lock she jumped up from the sofa with surprising alacrity for her rather large size only to be disappointed when a sad looking Rusty trudged through the door. Then her mother's instinct kicked in and she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder waiting for him to meet her eyes.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"It's Jane," he said as though she should know the name. Jane? Sharon looked down at her belly desperately trying to remember which Jane her son might be talking about.

"Jane Cuff. You know her, the producer of Badge of Justice. The one who had dinner with us at the beach a couple of weeks ago?"

Sharon's cheeks flushed bright red. Stupid pregnancy brain! Of course she remembered Jane! An outgoing woman with greying hair who had talked at length about her plans for the show while Rusty had hung onto her to her every word and she had had to hold tight to Andy's hand so she wouldn't run off huff. It had been quite a memorable evening. "What happened with Jane, honey?"

"It's awful, Mom. It's really, really awful. They were looking for her because she didn't show up for work and now … these things on the internet … people are so angry, it's awful."

Rusty could see the moment the dots connected and Sharon's detective instinct kicked in. "Let's sit down and then you tell me step by step what actually happened," she demanded as she pulled him over to the dinner table with her.

"Me? Mom, your division is investigating. All I know is that Jane's gone and that somebody's got her and they're so angry and … Sharon, this could be really dangerous."

Sharon reached over the table and took his shaking hands into hers willing him to calm down. She was a skilled interrogator and more importantly, an experienced mother, so she helped him organise his thoughts and bit by bit a picture emerged.

When Rusty had worked on the show Sharon had watched it on occasion to help her better understand what he talked about. To her own greatest surprise she had actually quite enjoyed it. The cases were often a little absurd, but she guessed it had to be like that for television. Initially, she mostly looked for evidence of Mike's handiwork and links back to their own cases, but she had to admit she rather liked some of the more personal drama, too. The long-running love affair of a middle aged couple in particular had really won her heart, even if she couldn't help thinking that authors weren't doing the best of portraying just how intense, and physical, love could be even at her age. She had told Jane as much during their dinner and Andy had made a rather crude joke about old people sex that had made her blush a little.

Just last night when Andy had been at his AA meeting Rusty had talked about the long awaited kiss that hadn't made it into the final cut of the episode and how upset the fandom was. "I don't even ship them, but I think it's mean of Jane. She's just stringing people along!" he had complained and she had reminded him that it was _just a TV show_ after all. Although, after having rooted for this particular couple for so long, she'd have quite liked seeing that kiss as well.

Rusty opened the laptop and his fingers flew over the keys. "Look, they created their own hashtags #whatthecut and #releasethekiss. So many people have been posting on twitter and tumblr and facebook." He scrolled through page after page of colourful pictures of the couple, letters to Jane, some angry, some heartbreaking and a few posters demanding the release of the footage. Someone had even started an online petition and there was a quote of the actress saying she hoped she wouldn't get fired for her revelation. Suddenly Rusty froze and looked at her in shock. "Oh my God, oh my God! Mom! Look at this!"

Sharon's eyes flittered over the page still dizzy from the wealth of information. It was beyond her how Rusty could even read any of it at that speed.

"Oh my God," Rusty muttered again, "they've got her. How can people be so crazy, they've actually got Jane!"

She followed his finger to a tweet from someone called 'BadgeSuperFan' at the bottom of the page.

 _We want justice! Release the footage, we release the Cuffster. #badgeofjustice #whatthecut_

But it was the picture of Jane that made her blood freeze.


	31. Chapter 31

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Glistening Sun and Miss Shannon**

 **Chapter 31**

Provenza was trying very hard to ignore Flynn's thunderous expression, but his best friend was wearing the deepest frown he had ever seen while his arms were crossed tightly in front of his chest, fingers painfully digging into his arms. The source of his aggravation was quite obviously the very thing that was making everyone else smile or at least try very hard not to. On the screen of Tao's laptop was Sharon Raydor, her eyes bright and her cheeks slightly flushed. A few years ago Provenza wouldn't have admitted to it, but now he couldn't deny that she had what was the unmistakable look of a homicide detective who'd gotten a whiff of blood. She was one of them and just like every one of the others would have, she was slowly going out of her mind with boredom now that she was confined to her house.

"Okay, so I rewatched the entirety of season 4 and I am pretty sure I have figured out which episode the kiss was cut from," Sharon was telling them brightly, her hands a lot more expressive than they would have usually been with the restraints of being the head of the team suddenly lifted. Her knowledge of Badge of Justice had just given them some much-needed background on their case, so they were happy to indulge her now even though it didn't really matter to their kidnapping case which episode exactly had initially been meant to feature the annoying rule-following Captain and her even more annoying hothead of a lieutenant smooching. Personally, Provenza couldn't have cared less, but he enjoyed Flynn's expression too much to stop her now.

Sharon leaned back in her chair when she concluded, turning her palms up in a gesture of finality. "It was after the hug, of course!" She leaned in again almost conspiratorially. "I mean, not that I think it warrants a kidnapping, but I do agree that this long rather pointless conversation the lieutenant's foster daughter had on whether she should major in law or medicine was pretty drawn out as it was! They could have easily saved some screen time to show that kiss!"

She sketched a wave. "The fandom is going nuts, I can tell you!" She scrolled through something on her phone and then turned it around so the screen was visible. "Hashtag BadgeofJustice," she said proudly. "is trending on twitter." She looked at the screen and read from it "Right in the feels."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Provenza scoffed and she shrugged.

"I am not sure, Lieutenant. It sounds painful, anyway," she said airily. "Here's another one." Sharon frowned. "Talking about how Dusty – that's the daughter – will probably be shown accidentally signing up for travel insurance before we got a meaningful scene with our lovers."

She gave a short laugh then seemed to notice the way her team was staring at her and shrugged. "I might have gotten a little bit carried away, but I was on tumblr all afternoon."

Provenza rolled his eyes. "What on earth is The Tumblr? Is it like The Youtube?"

"It does have cats," Sharon confirmed excitedly.

Hopefully not poor baby cats left out in the rain, Provenza hoped with some amusement. The story about her crying at a commercial had made the rounds and had provided a source of great amusement to all of them for weeks. Flynn had made them swear that they wouldn't tease her about it.

Sharon looked past Provenza and frowned sadly when she saw the picture of Jane Cuff pinned to the murder board. She was in her late fifties with short blond hair and clear blue eyes, wearing a knowing little smile. Not wearing any make-up at all and wearing a checkered shirt, Jane did not look particularly posh but was far from plain with her intelligent gaze and relaxed posture. Provenza followed Sharon's gaze to the picture they had printed off of the The Tumblr. Cuff was on the floor looking dazed, her hands cuffed to wooden beam in what looked to be some kind of rural home nondescript enough not to be easily identifiable.

"Captain, maybe you can monitor The Tumblr a little longer," Provenza had a hard time preventing his amusement from showing on his face when he saw the look on Flynn's. The sheer amount of anger that was brought up by the combination of Badge of Justice once again being the focus of everyone's attention and Provenza putting Sharon to work when she was supposed to be on maternity leave was fascinating to watch.

"Will do. See you later, guys." Sharon smiled at Andy. "Let me know whether you'll be home for dinner, honey. I can throw something together."

Andy just grunted, probably aware that she wouldn't listen to him anyway if he tried to tell her to take it easy.

The screen went black and Flynn turned towards Provenza without missing a beat. "What do you think you're doing, putting Sharon to work like this? She is on maternity leave for a reason, dammit!"

"She seemed fine to me," Provenza ignored his friend's irritation. "Glad that she has something to do now, in fact."

Flynn snorted. "She is supposed to rest. Baby doesn't let her sleep at night with all the kicking."

"I am not the one who did that to her," Provenza said pointedly and to a chorus of disgusted groans.

* * *

Despite his almost overwhelming concern for Jane, Rusty couldn't help but be amused by the sight he happened upon as he came home from college. Home. Andy's house had become home more quickly than he would have ever expected. Maybe it was the familiar furniture from the condo, maybe it was Sharon's touch that had turned Andy's space into theirs or maybe it was Sharon herself who made it all feel warm and welcoming and homey. He didn't care as long as the fuzzy feeling that gripped him every time he walked through the door to the sight of Sharon doing her weird stretching exercises or to the smell of dinner on the stove or to the sound of her humming to herself would never fizz out. Today he found her wrapped in a big, fuzzy cardigan on the couch, her feet propped up on the coffee table, the ipad resting on top of her belly. Her glasses were perched on the tip of her nose, her brows pulled together in a frown of concentration. She only looked up when he cleared his throat.

"Hi, honey." She smiled brightly, albeit a little distractedly. "Is it that late already?"

"Yes, almost six," he replied cheerily.

"You must be starving. I was going to start dinner!" She ran a hand through her hair and looked at him sheepishly. "Can you help me up? I'll make some sort of stir-fry."

Rusty chuckled at the now familiar question, still endlessly amused by the fact that the almighty Sharon Raydor was having trouble getting to her feet by herself nowadays. She was always trying to show Andy that she didn't need him to wait on her, but her attitude was a lot more lax with Rusty. He appreciated that they had their little secret. He took her outstretched hand and pulled her to her feet where she took a moment to gain her balance and then hugged him tightly.

"How are you doing with the whole kidnapping thing, Rusty?"

He shrugged. "I really like Jane. I mean... we are not super-close or anything, it's not like _you_ had been kidnapped..."

"Oh don't worry," Sharon huffed in one of her sporadic bouts of dry humor. "I am far too big to be kidnapped at this point." She grimaced. "Sorry, honey. Go on."

Her hand found his and he squeezed it, leaning into her a little more. She smelled of her flowery perfume and of herself and he wanted to step into her arms and let her hold him for a bit. It felt so good to have a mother like that who cared for him and was ready to listen to his every concern. As if she had read his mind, Sharon wrapped her arms around him and held on to him as tightly as her protruding belly allowed. She hummed a little bit and his hand felt the tight muscles on her back.

As much as she tried to hide it and counteract it with exercise and physical therapy, carrying the baby was hard on her and there was no way either he or Andy could make it any easier on her. He felt her lips on the top of his head.

"They'll find Jane. They just have to release that kiss. And when they do, I am so going to watch."

He stepped back and shook his head in disbelief. "You are such a fangirl, Mom."

Sharon chuckled self-consciously. "I know, right?" She looked pensive for a moment. "Or as this say on tumblr-" She mimicked quotation marks in the air with her fingers. "Hashtag IKR."

"You're a total geek, Mom," Rusty told her earnestly. "Now let's make that dinner, I am starving."

He scrolled through his phone while Sharon was heating up water for the pasta and cutting vegetables. She had assured him that she did not need or want his help, so he felt comfortable just watching her. Rusty understood how useless she felt and how it helped her to have a task to complete, so he decided not to interfere with her cooking. She was stirring the contents of the pan with one hand while the other one was rubbing soothing circles on her belly.

"Sharon, I was wondering," Rusty began, causing her to turn around and give him a watchful glance over the rims over glasses. She could always tell when something was up, but he soldiered along anyway, trying to make his voice sound light. "Are you really okay being caught up in this case? I mean, shouldn't you be shopping for baby stuff and resting and doing your swimming?"

Her tense expression dissolved and she nudged his shoulder playfully. "I am doing all that. And I am not actually caught up in that case. Just doing a bit of research from the safety of my home." She smiled at him. "I am grateful, actually. I am not used to having so much time on my hands. It helps me not to worry."

"Worry about what?" Rusty asked. "Stroh?"

Sharon placed the spatula aside and stepped away from the stove. "Him, too. But mostly- you are aware that my pregnancy is not exactly textbook, are you?"

Rusty frowned. "Now what is that supposed to mean?"

"I am ancient, Rusty," she grimaced self-consciously. "For this type of thing anyway. So far the baby is fine, but my doctor's been talking to me about the birth. She thinks it would be too hard on both of us to do it the natural way and wants to schedule a C-section as a precaution."

"So?" Rusty asked, remembering what he had read online to gain a better understanding of what Sharon was going through. "A C-section is not a big thing anymore, is it? Unless, well... they do cut you open."

"No, it's fine. I am not particularly worried about that. It is just that it makes me feel so fragile. And it reminds me that even though the baby and I have made it this far, I can't take for granted that everything is going to be okay with him." Her eyes looked a little watery right now and she was pressing her lips together in that way that Rusty knew was a telltale sign that she was trying to contain her emotions.

"Or with you," he added quietly, suddenly catching another glimpse of what was upsetting her so much. "You're also worried that something is going to happen to you, aren't you?"

She touched both of his arms, caressing them in long, gentle strokes. "You do know that I would never leave you if I can help it, right?"

Rusty swallowed hard. "If you can help it? Please don't talk like this, Sharon, okay?"

She gave him a sad smile that did nothing to reassure him, but didn't let go of his arms. "I don't like to think about it either, honey, but it is something we have to address from time to time."

Rusty shook his head, upset by the notion of Sharon dying. He couldn't imagine her not being there to welcome him home and to reassure him when he felt off-kilter as he still did so frequently. He felt himself beginning to panic and the silence seemed so heavy, so he rambled the first few words that came to mind.

"Why are you even having the baby if it is so dangerous?"

He regretted the words as soon as they'd left his lips, but Sharon didn't seem too fazed. Maybe she had asked herself the same question. When she finally spoke, her answer didn't sound rehearsed.

"I didn't plan on having a baby, Rusty. You know that. But once I found out that it had happened, embarrassment and all, I started loving it as fiercely as I love all of you."

Rusty was silent for a moment, the vivid images of a funeral with a pink-faced infant and a broken Andy Flynn refusing to be chased away. For a moment he wanted to hate the little boy for threatening to take his mother away, but then he reached out, searching Sharon's eyes for approval. As he gently laid his hand against the side of Sharon's stomach, she smiled and covered it with hers.

"There he is," she said, moving it a little to the right. When he looked up at her again, she was crying in earnest, silently and dignified as usual, but crying nonetheless with tears rolling down her cheeks one after another. "That's your brother."

He wasn't sure whether she was talking to him or to the baby or even to both of them, but then it did amount to the same thing. He was so much a part of Sharon's family now that there was no question as to whether the new baby would consider him a big brother.

"Hey stop crying, okay?" Rusty said in an effort to lighten the mood.

"I'm sorry," Sharon's voice went up the same way it always did when she was emotional and she self-consciously reached up to wipe the tears away with her sleeve. When she hiccuped – now rather undignifiedly – the baby gave a swift kick in response and Rusty jumped, causing Sharon to take a step back in surprise and knock over the salad bowl. Even though, fortunately, she hadn't added the dressing yet, they both looked on in dismay as the contents of the bowl rolled on the floor.

"Great, little brother," Rusty said dryly, not just a little grateful for the distraction – he had been a little worried that he would find himself prompted to maybe cry as well. His throat had felt so tight and his eyes had begun to burn. "There you go, causing trouble before you are even born."

"Just like Daddy." Sharon smiled at him, her eyes, as always, looking greener as they were still shining with tears. She soothed the baby with her thumb while she surveyed the damage.

"Oh, well. Looks like there will be no salad tonight then," she said dismissively. "Let's clean up this mess."

Rusty really wanted to tell her to leave it and let him do the cleaning, but he also really enjoyed the funny way she behaved whenever she was forced to pick something up from the floor. Luckily for him, it was something that continued to become even funnier as her pregnancy progressed. As hell-bent as she was on doing things the way she always had, he didn't have to wait too long before she awkwardly lowered herself to the floor, holding on to the fridge all the way down and sat down next to the bowl into which she began to collect the scattered vegetables. Chuckling, the tight feeling in his chest if not dissolved at least less painful, Rusty joined her on the floor. Only after a moment of silently picking up salad leaves while grinning to himself, he became aware of the fact that she was looking at him sternly over the rims of her glasses.

"It is not very nice to be amused by your old, huge mother," she said pointedly, albeit with traces of humor flickering behind her eyes.

"I am not amused," he said, sadly betrayed by the bubbling laughter he was unable to contain.

She threw the last piece of carrot into the bowl and folded her arms in front of her chest. "Forgiv me if I do not believe you, Rusty."

"Be nice or I won't help you up," Rusty shot back, causing her to draw her brows into a frown.

"Not very nice," she repeated, but the corners of her mouth were twitching.

"Sharon, are you okay?"

They hadn't heard Andy come in over the non-existent noise of their silent staring contest and both rolled their eyes in perfect unison as well as in a perfect imitation of each other that wouldn't have been so surprising if they had actually been related by blood. Sharon looked up and smiled, her hand on top of her stomach.

"No, I am fine, honey. It is just our son making fun of me, because I am big and can't handle myself so well these days." She pulled her lips into a perfect little pout that Rusty knew would always melt Flynn's heart.

"That is not very nice of you," Flynn said to Rusty, halfway caught between actual consternation and amusement. He sat down next to Sharon on the kitchen floor and kissed her sweetly on the lips. "I think you handle yourself very well, my dear."

"Uh, gross!" Rusty called. "Don't flirt and make out in front of me."

His heart felt suddenly light. Sharon hadn't referred to him as her son, as she had taken up doing a long time ago, but to _their_ son and Andy hadn't even batted an eyelash at that. As nausea-inducing as he pretended to find the way they were with each other, he was glad that he had gained not only one, but two parents.

Sharon snuggled into Andy's side, obviously busy inhaling his after shave as he placed his big hand on her stomach to say hello to their other son.

"Something's burning," he said matter-of-factly, causing Rusty to jolt to his feet and try to savage whatever was left of their stir-fry. Though busy with the already half-burned mess, he spotted from the corner of his eye how Andy helped Sharon to her feet and pulled her against him, noticing the barely dried tears on her cheeks. Rusty also didn't miss the look of understanding that passed between the two. Andy didn't inquire, not even silently, why Sharon had been shedding tears. He seemed aware of their cause and that brought the tight feeling back to take up permanent residence in Rusty's chest.

He had just gained a family and he could not bear to lose his mom again.


	32. Chapter 32

**While You're Making Other Plans**

 **by Miss Shannon and** **Glistening Sun  
**

 **Chapter 32**

Fear seemed to be her constant companion these days letting go of her only when she was with Andy and preferably safely ensconced in his arms. She couldn't shake that feeling of premonition and she didn't only fear for the life of Little Peach, for the first time during her pregnancy she also feared for a her own life. Andy was her anchor, but she could tell he was also getting worried. He held her every evening and gently applied botanical oil to her stomach and breasts that was supposed to prevent stretch marks. It did nothing of the sort – just this morning she had discovered another angry red among the many already there crisscrossing the white skin. But Sharon liked those moments of intimacy, the feeling of Andy's calloused hands touching her with such tenderness, the calming scent that enveloped them. They needed those moments of togetherness, their nightly ritual when he didn't have to work late.

Sharon cried more these days and she knew that left him helpless, but she didn't know how to stop. She tried to make him promise that when it came down to a choice between her and their son he would choose their son and she could see just how much anguish she caused him with that demand. "I can't raise our boy without you, Sharon. I can't live without you," Andy pleaded every time and depending on her own mood she either comforted him or made them go over their will and the arrangements they had made for all eventualities. It was painful and she almost wished she could just go to hospital and have the c-section there and then.

During the day she spent time in the fandom. It had long progressed beyond research and 'shipping' the cute couple, that rather attractive silver-haired Lieutenant and his red-haired girlfriend who had aged remarkably well. Well, the actress certainly had, Sharon noticed with a touch of envy when she looked at her own exhausted features in the mirror. There were rumours of plastic surgery and beauty treatments. The actress had even admitted to having had some work done herself and Sharon respected her for that. Gosh, certain parts of her body would probably need a makeover after this pregnancy. That was if she didn't simply explode beforehand. She winced when her son shifted and kicked her roughly in the stomach. Uh. She would make Andy get up at night and change diapers for the first two years least, maybe even three. She kept discovering new stretchmarks she was sure hadn't been there with Emily or Ricky. She would need a tummy tuck, wasn't that what it was called? If she was lucky her insurance might even pay for it. But in case they didn't she made a mental note to tell Andy she had found the perfect post-baby present for herself. A tummy tuck. Yes, that sounded like a good plan.

Sharon turned her attention back to the screen and opened tumblr. They were talking about Jane again. Even being kidnapped she still seemed to have a hold over the show. The kiss hadn't been released and the new season had started as planned. The fans were running wild because they wanted to know more about the redhead girlfriend. Rusty claimed she looked a little like her, Sharon thought he was crazy because she was fat and bloated and Andy said no way and she was far more beautiful. But then he was terribly biased. She loved how much he was on her side though.

With a smile Sharon opened a new document and soon her fingers were flying over the keyboard. She had discovered a new guilty pleasure. Fanfiction. She had read copious amounts of it during the past couple of weeks trying to look for a clue as to Jane's whereabouts or her kidnappers. One story had touched on it, one of those ridiculous 'babyfic' by a better author of the fandom. At least she had mastered the past perfect. Hardly anybody did this these days. But the way they were writing about pregnancy was nothing but ridiculous. She was sure they were young teenagers or maybe barely into their twenties who had never been pregnant. Clearly they had no idea and they certainly did not know what it was like for a woman in her fifties. Had they never thought about the embarrassment? The looks and the talking at work? The way her old body was stretching to accommodate her baby? How scared, how terribly, terribly scared she was that something could go wrong? The growing immobility.

At least it wasn't 'smut'. Some of it, she had to admit, was actually rather good and … she might have given Andy a pleasant surprise or two in the bedroom. Some were certainly creative particularly when it came to dealing with her 'swollen belly'. But other stories …. good grief, just how mobile could somebody's joints be? Never mind that Andy had snuck up on her once, a frown of intense concentration on his face when she turned around to look at him. "I don't think I could do that, sweetheart. I mean, how many hands does this Lieutenant guy even have?"

Maybe the answer to their case or at least important clues lay hidden in the fandom. There was certainly discontent with Jane and the network. They wanted more of the love story and were aggressive when it came to the poor girl Dusty. Sharon liked Dusty, the character reminded her of someone very dear to her own heart and reading those posts made her angry. Although she figured that knowing more about Jon Worth and the cute couple would be good, too. There was also plenty of fighting within the fandom. There had recently been a case of plagiarism by one of those authors who really couldn't write and had stolen entire paragraphs from other stories or badly paraphrased someone else's work. She was surprised how maturely the fandom had dealt with that. It really worked like a little society with instigators and peacemakers, class clowns and policemen.

Maybe she could get in contact with the fans. She could create her own identity and talk to them. They seemed to talk to each other a lot, and behind the scenes, too. She had a hunch that the plan for the kidnapping had been hatched here somewhere. There had been discussions about burning down a house, something utterly ridiculous about a kangaroo she still didn't quite understand, thinly veiled threats against Cuff because of the kiss and then that one thread about kidnapping the main actors and making them film a kiss. They had even started distributing responsibilities among themselves and then everything had suddenly become very quiet. Too quiet. Yes, that was where she would start! One of them had to know something about the kidnapping. It would be just like going undercover, expect that she could do it from the privacy and safety of her home. She would be able to do all those cool tech things Mike Tao was always talking about! And she might finally understand her sons and her daughter better. Excitement coursed through her veins and for a moment, she forgot how tired she was, how much her legs hurt and how difficult it would be good get up again from the couch. She would go undercover!

She smirked as she read over the last line she had written. _They kissed until the need for air dominated over their heated desire._ Gosh, how perfectly cliché! But then a cliché story might be just what would get her into the fandom. Yes, she would write that beautifully romantic story she had dreamed up last night when she had sat up waiting for Andy to come home. Or she would write a story about how any halfway sane person in her fifties _should_ react to the news of a surprise pregnancy. With disbelief, with fear, with anger – not with that happy go lucky, yay, we're going to be parents when we should be retiring kind of stupidity. She groaned when Little Peach kicked her again. She would write about the discomfort and all those awful side effects, the boredom of being forced to sit at home. Yes, she would do just that! She would add some of her extensive FID experience into the story as well. She had always wondered how many of those crime procedurals either completely omitted the existence of FID or painted them in a severely bad light. She would stand for none of that. FID would be the heroes of her story! They would swoop in to save the day wearing a dark trenchcoat – and of course the redhead would be kissed with just as much passion as Andy kissed her!

She needed a name, a pseudonym. She looked out over the garden and the pool glistening in the midday sun, the Hyatt Hotel in the background. Sun. Beach. Ocean. She got up with a groan to stretch her legs and pour herself another glass of iced tea. That was when she saw the van of the construction company parked in front of their neighbours' house. Shannon Enterprises. Yes! She would call herself Sunny Shannon.

She had a name, now she needed a profile picture. She hesitated to take a picture of the show or the actors seeing as she didn't technically own the copyright for any of them. A picture of the sun maybe, or her sunny garden? No, too tacky and too dangerous. Somebody from might recognise it. If she was going to do this as a proper undercover operation, she would need to report this to her supervisor. Expect that she could never ever let Chief Taylor know that she wrote fanfiction. She shuddered at the idea. That would be even worse than running into him half-naked at the pool all those months ago. But she needed some sort of back-up, a re-insurance policy. She would leave clues! She worked with detectives after all, and she lived with one, too. She grabbed Mr Owl and snapped a quick picture of him. Perfect. It would go well with the dogs and cats she had already found. She made quick work out of creating a fake email address and signing up to a number of social media accounts before posting her first story.

She commented and reblogged, liked and tweeted, started discussions and posted a multitude of the oddest smilies she had ever seen. She worked herself through pages and pages of pictures of Jon Worth and the older couple. It shocked her how easily those fangirls trusted her with their personal information, but she was also amazed at the diversity she found. From teenager to grandmother they were drawing pictures and making gifs, photoshopping domestic bliss and writing stories. The creativity was truly amazing. There were messages of support for Jane and increasing concern. They were so sweet welcoming her with open arms like a long lost friend, excited to have someone else who loved the same thing. It was lovely, really lovely. She had to admit that. And next to the fighting there was camaraderie and something that looked like real friendship spanning across the world. She was almost a little sad that she was only here for an undercover investigation. She could have really like some of those people.

Surprisingly her first story garnered quite some reviews. She was so proud that those writers she had become a fan of were commenting on her work! How much she appreciated their take on her story! She got such a rush of excitement whenever she saw the notification for a new review in her inbox.

She had finally found a way to comply with Cottle's orders and Andy's protectiveness and keep herself entertained! And she was popular. Really quite popular.

More than once Andy came home to her eyes glued to the computer screen, her cheeks glowing with excitement and her fingers flying over the keyboard at lightning speed. The moment she saw him she would stop what she was doing and close her laptop, but it didn't make him suspicious. For the first time in a long time she seemed genuinely happy and at peace, not as terribly worried as she had been. She would ask him about the search for Cuff and he would tell her, she would share some of her findings but never quite divulged just how deeply she had entered the fandom.

One day she found an invitation for a closed group on facebook she hadn't even known existed. She felt like she had been initiated to a secret club. There was plenty of talk about the good-looking lieutenant and the red-haired captain, but there were other, more sinister talks. Every hair on her body stood up as she worked backwards through the posts, reading reply after reply. Every fibre of her being knew that she had just found what she was looking for. The detective in her knew that this was it. She might look like a beached whale, but she still had it in her!

Somebody had obviously decided that she was to be trusted. She had been admitted to the inner sanctuary of the fandom, its beating heart. It was like unlocking a secret level of a video game, something Ricky had spent countless hours trying to do. There were many familiar names here, some of the opinion leaders of the fandom, but also others who seemed to have disappeared a while ago, whose accounts had suddenly become private and password protected.

Her laptop beeped with a message. She didn't hesitate to open it. It was a link that led her to another secret website, password protected. Excitement rushed through her. She was so close, so close! Magically she received another message with the password just moments after the login page had fully loaded. She keyed in the code and found herself looking into a dark room, a cottage of sorts. Then she saw Cuff talking to her captors. Yes! A message box popped up on the screen. "Welcome, SunnyShannon, you are now one of us."

When Andy got back that night the house was dark. He didn't think too much of it at first. He knew Rusty would be with Gus and seeing it was nearly two in the morning, Sharon was probably fast asleep. He locked up downstairs and then climbed up the stairs his tired body looking forward to falling into bed beside Sharon and holding her tight. He had had a gruelling day and he craved her company. It looked liked they might have a break in their search for Jane Cuff. If it hadn't been so late he would have considered waking her up because he needed to hear her calm voice and talk it through with her.

Cold washed over him when he pushed open the door to her bedroom and found the bed empty and untouched. Just then his phone started ringing. Please let it be Sharon! Please let it be her, he silently pleaded fighting the rising panic.

"Flynn, sit down." His friend's voice was so authoritative that he sat on the ground right where he stood. "Stroh has been sighted driving past the Captain's condo in Los Feliz."


End file.
